UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Accession  No.  7  .   Chss  No. 


f- 


PAGODA  AND   ENTRANCE  TO  LARGE  TEMPLE,   NIKKO. 


RAMBLES  IN  JAPAN 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  RISING  SUN 


n 
H.    B.   TRISTRAM,    D.D.,    LL.D.,    F.R.S. 

CANON   OF  DURHAM 


WITH  FORTY-FIVE  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  EDWARD  WHYMPER 
FROM  SKETCHES  AND  PHOTOGRAPHS 

AN  INDEX  AND  A  MAP 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK        CHICAGO       TORONTO 

The  Religious  Tract  Society,  London. 


PREFACE 


AN  apology  may  reasonably  be  expected  for  another 
book  on  Japan  by  one  who  has  been  a  mere  visitor, 
not  a  resident.  The  following  pages  are  for  the  most 
part  a  transcript  of  the  author's  daily  journal,  written 
without  any  view  to  publication.  But  when,  shortly 
after  his  visit,  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world  were 
suddenly  fixed  upon  the  Land  of  the  Eising  Sun,  and 
its  unexpected  display  of  military  genius  and  power, 
it  was  suggested  to  him  that  his  notes  might  be  of 
interest,  not  only  as  describing  some  parts  of  the 
country  seldom  visited  by  foreigners,  but  as  touching 
topics  not  generally  dealt  with  by  previous  writers. 

The  primary  object  of  the  author's  rambles  was  to 
master  thoroughly  the  position  of  missionary  work 
in  Japan,  especially  that  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  and  to  ascertain  the  practical  working  of 
Buddhism  as  compared  with  the  Buddhism  of  China 
and  Ceylon.  He  had  special  advantages  in  being 
accompanied  by  his  daughter,  who,  from  her  residence 
of  some  years  in  the  country,  her  knowledge  of  the 
language  and  customs,  and  intense  sympathy  with 


6  PREFACE 

the  people,  enabled  him  to  gain  an  insight  into  many 
things  which  would  otherwise  escape  the  stranger's 
notice.  He  trusts  also  that  his  readers  will  forgive 
him,  as  a  field  naturalist,  for  many  allusions  to 
zoology  and  botany.  He  will  be  well  rewarded,  if  he 
shall,  however  slightly,  contribute  to  deepen  interest 
in  a  race  peerless  among  Orientals,  and  destined,  when 
it  has  embraced  that  Christianity  which  is  the  only 
root  of  all  true  civilisation,  to  be  the  Britain  of  the 
Pacific. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.       I.  FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  .        .        .        .        .13 

„         II.  YOKOHAMA  AND  TOKIO     ....      30 

„        III.  A  VISIT  TO  NIKKO  .....      81 

„        IY.  THE  HAKONE  LAKE         .        .        .        .124 

„          Y.  NAGOYA  .......     164 

„        YI.  A  SECOND  VISIT  TO  KIOTO        .         .         ,     195 

„       VII.  OSAKA    .....        .        .225 

„     VIII.  SHIKOKU         ......     247 

IX.  THE  ISLAND  OF  KIUSHIU.         .         .         .     266 

„         X.  Aso  SAN  AND  THE  GEYSERS  OF  YUNOTAN  .     286 


UN 

' 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIONS 


FAGK 

PAGODA  AND  ENTRANCE  TO  LARGE  TEMPLE,  NIKKO    Frontispiece 
AWAZI  SHIMA,  ON  THE  INLAND  SEA      .        •        •        .12 

NAGASAKI  . 17 

TSUDZURA  IWA  ROCK,  HARUKA. 28 

ARIMA .      81 

VEGETABLE  PEDLAR.  .......      37 

ASAKUSA  TEMPLE,  TOKIO  (BUDDHIST)  .         .         .         .43 

ZQJOJI-ZOZO  TEMPLE 51 

JAPANESE  SOLDIER  OF  THE  OLD  TIME  .         .        •        .56 

JAPANESE  BRONZE  LANTERN 57 

ANCIENT  JAPANESE  ARCHER 59 

JAPANESE  BUTTONS     .         .  .         .         .         .61 

SHIBA  TEMPLE,  AT  TOKIO 67 

FOREST  TREES  NEAR  NIKKO 80 

BRIDGES  NEAR  NIKKO 85 

JAPANESE  FALCONER 95 

STONE  BUDDHAS  NEAR  NIKKO 104 

LAKE  OF  CHUSENJI 113 

BUDDHIST  PRIEST 117 

FUJILAMA,  FROM  OMIYA 125 

WAYSIDE  TEA-HOUSE 131 

JAPANESE  TRAVELLING  CHAIR  .  140 


10  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

THE  HAKONE  LAKE,  FIVE  THOUSAND  FEET  ABOVE  SEA- 
LEVEL          ........     145 

OJIGOKU,  OR  GREAT  BOILING  SPRING  .         .         .         .150 
PILGRIM  GOING  UP  FUJIYAMA      .        .        .        .        .158 

NAGOYA  CASTLE 167 

TEMPLE  AT  NAGOYA,  CONTAINING  FIVE  HUNDRED  IMAGES    173 

KISOGAWA  RIVER .185 

COLOSSAL  IMAGE  OF  BUDDHA 194 

TEMPLE  AT  KIOTO 199 

A  JAPANESE  LADY 202 

33,333  IMAGES,  JAPAN        .         .         .         .  .     205 

JAPANESE  SHRINE  SELLERS          .         .         .         •         .209 

WEAVING  SILK .215 

PLANTING  OUT  RICE 224 

JAPANESE  GIRLS,  WRITING,  SEWING,  AND  READING        .     231 
A  FLOWER-STAND  IN  THE  STREET,  OSAKA     .         .         .     244 
LADY  MISSIONARIES'  HOUSE        .         .         .         .         .249 

THEATRE  AT  TOKUSHIMA     ......     251 

MISSIONARY'S  HOUSE  AT  TOKUSHIMA    ....     254 

MISSION  ROOM,  TOKUSHIMA         .  ...     2^5 

COUNTRY  BRIDGE 259 

JAPANESE  JUNK         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     264 

KUMAMOTO  CASTLE     .         .         .         .         .         .         .282 

COUNTRY  PEOPLE  CARRYING  FIREWOOD         .         .         .293 


^J 
ITY 


KAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 


CHAPTEE  I 

FIRST   IMPRESSIONS 

IMPRESSIONS  are  always  heightened  by  contrast,  and 
the  first  impressions  of  Japan,  striking  and  enchanting 
as  they  must  be  in  any  case,  were  to  me  intensified 
by  the  startling  contrast  to  the  lands  I  had  just  left. 
As  we  stepped  ashore  in  the  lovely  land-locked 
harbour  of  Nagasaki,  and  set  foot  on  the  little  islet  of 
Deshima,  for  two  centuries  and  a  half  the  only  spot 
of  Japanese  ground  which  a  European  might  tread, 
and  those  Europeans  only  half  a  dozen  Dutchmen  ; 
and  when  one  looked  around  on  the  harbour  filled 
with  shipping  of  every  great  nation  in  the  world,  and 
then  on  the  sloping  sides  of  the  encircling  rocky  hills, 
dotted  with  fairy-like  villas,  peeping  out  amongst  a 
labyrinth  of  semi-tropical  trees,  which  overshadowed 
clumps  of  brilliant  flowering  shrubs,  it  was  difficult 
to  realise  that  only  thirty-six  hours  before  we  had 
left  the  monotonous  mud-banks  and  the  turbid  waters 
of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang.  It  was  a  veritable  transfor- 
mation scene. 

The  land  of  China,  like  its  people,  strikes  one  as 
essentially  unromantic,  everything  on  a  large  scale, 


14  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

dull  and  prosaic,  matching  the  inhabitants,  with 
many  good  qualities,  solid,  stolid,  plodding,  unimagi- 
native— in  short,  a  matter-of-fact,  business  land, 
nothing  if  not  practical,  but  to  a  stranger's  eye  not 
much  beyond.  At  once,  after  spending  a  day  in  the 
fogs  of  the  Yellow  Sea,  we  seemed  to  have  stepped 
into  fairyland  ;  nothing  grand,  nothing  magnificent, 
but  everything  in  perfect  harmony,  a  land  of  minute 
prettinesses.  Well  might  my  artist  friend,  who  landed 
with  me  soon  after  sunrise,  exclaim  as  we  returned 
from  our  ramble  through  the  streets  :  '  I  should  have 
come  for  six  months  instead  of  one,  and  brought  a 
dozen  sketch-books  instead  of  two.  Every  step 
provides  a  new  picture,  every  child  in  the  street  has 
an  artist's  eye.  The  little  girls  arrange  their  bouquets 
and  sachets  as  though  they  were  students  of  Euskin  ; 
even  the  butchers'  shops  are  decorated  with  vases  and 
flowers,  as  though  they  were  Regent  Street  reposi- 
tories. Every  woman  looks  bewitching,  and  the 
harmony  of  colours  in  a  bright  dress  is  a  perfect 
study.  Only  one  thing  spoils  the  charm,  the  horrid 
intrusion  of  European  slop  tailors.  While  the  porters 
and  coolies  attract  one  by  their  picturesque  dress, 
fashion  seems  to  demand  from  everyone  who  can 
afford  it,  that  he  should  assume  European  hard  hat, 
misfitting  coat  and  trousers,  and  cotton  gloves  with 
elongated  fingers.  If  the  women  are  charming,  the 
men  look  thorough  little  snobs.'  I  must  endorse  my 
friend's  criticism,  even  though  there  be  plain  women 
in  Japan  as  elsewhere. 

Seaport     towns,     though     generally     the     first 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS  15 

specimens  that  the  traveller  sees  of  a  new  country,  are 
not  necessarily  the  truest  or  most  attractive  represen- 
tatives of  their  country.  No  exception  can  be  taken 
to  Nagasaki  as  an  illustration  of  Southern  Japan. 
For  the  capacity  of  its  roadstead,  it  may  well  rank 
among  the  great  harbours  of  the  world.  The  entrance 
is  somewhat  intricate,  but  when  once  entered  under 
the  anchorage,  we  seemed  to  be  in  a  land-locked  lake 
surrounded  by  villas.  Looking  across  the  harbour, 
I  was  at  once  reminded  of  the  Bay  of  Naples  ;  I  could 
have  imagined  myself  gazing  at  Sorrento  on  a  summer 
morning.  But  our  minuter  inspection  soon  revealed 
a  difference  :  the  general  outlines  might  be  similar, 
but  there  was  a  finish,  an  exquisite  variety,  an  absence 
of  whitewash  and  long  stone  walls,  an  adjusting  and 
harmonising  of  every  detail  with  its  surroundings, 
which  presented  as  fine  an  illustration  of  art  conceal- 
ing art  as  can  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  world.  Every 
tree  seemed  placed  as  if  it  were  a  necessity  where  it 
grew,  and  where  its  absence  must  cause  a  disfiguring 
gap  ;  the  very  shape  of  even  the  largest  trees  was 
guided  by  art  which  Japanese  understand  so  well,  for 
trees,  like  children,  are  there  trained  from  their 
youth  up  :  whilst  the  houses  seem  to  suggest  that 
they  are  a  natural  upgrowth  from  the  rocks  on 
which  they  stand. 

Various  little  islets  dot  the  inlet.  I  have  men- 
tioned the  most  historically  celebrated,  Deshima,  the 
prison  factory  of  the  Dutch,  where,  since  the  expulsion 
of  the  Jesuits  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  two  Dutch  ships  a  year  were  allowed  to 


SITY 


16  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

discharge  and  take  in  cargo,  while  the  residents  in 
the  factory  were  never  allowed  to  leave  it.  The  islet 
is  now  united  to  the  mainland  by  a  causeway,  and 
might  be  supposed  by  a  stranger  to  be  merely  a 
continuation  of  the  wharf.  Near  the  farther  end  of 
the  bay  a  lofty  island  cliff  rises  out  of  the  water,  the 
Tarpeian  Eock  of  Japanese  history,  whence,  according 
to  the  received  tradition,  many  hundred  native 
Christians,  who  refused  to  abjure  their  faith,  were 
hurled  into  the  depths  beneath.  The  calm  beauty  of 
the  scene  to-day  is  indeed  in  strange  contrast  with  its 
dark  traditions. 

Nagasaki,  though  one  of  the  smallest  cities  of  the 
first  rank  in  Japan,  yet  from  its  situation  and  associa- 
tions was  selected  as  one  of  the  treaty  ports,  open  to 
Europeans,  and  is  a  most  convenient  trading  port  for 
the  Southern  Island  of  Kiushiu.  It  has  not,  however, 
increased  in  importance  except  as  a  mail  station,  the 
local  trade  being  carried  on  at  other  ports.  It  has 
not  a  large  European  population,  but  it  is  the  centre 
of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  operations  in  the 
Southern  Island,  which  has  now  at  length  a  missionary 
bishop  of  its  own.  There  is  a  rather  handsome 
English  church  outside  the  city,  and  native  churches 
within,  as  well  as  extensive  schools. 

The  most  important  national  establishment  here 
is  a  medical  college,  the  only  one  in  the  island,  which 
bears  very  high  reputation,  and  the  professors  in 
which  are  chiefly  Europeans  of  scientific  distinction. 
In  fact,  in  nothing  has  Japan  advanced  more  rapidly 
than  in  medical  education,  in  which  she  is  already  in 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS  19 

advance  of  some  European  countries.  About  thirty 
of  the  students  at  the  time  of  my  visit  were  Christians 
connected  with  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  They 
held  a  devotional  meeting  once  a  week  in  a  native 
church  for  students  alone,  and  had  also  one  night 
for  open  discussion  on  Buddhism  and  Christianity,  at 
which  I  happened  to  be  present,  and  which  was  largely 
attended.  The  discussion  was  earnest  and  animated, 
though  of  course  I  could  not  understand  a  word. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  island  of  Kiushiu 
presents  many  points  of  contrast  to  the  other  islands, 
both  in  climate,  products,  and  character  of  the  inhabi- 
tants. We  are  rather  apt  to  forget  the  great  variety 
there  is  in  Japan  on  these  points.  With  an  area  one- 
tenth  larger  than  the  British  Isles,  and  the  population 
larger  in  exactly  the  same  proportion — forty-four 
millions  to  forty — the  four  main  islands  of  Japan 
stretch  slantways  through  sixteen  degrees  of  latitude 
and  twenty  degrees  of  longitude.  But,  owing  to  its 
formation  and  number  of.  islands,  it  possesses  a  coast- 
line more  than  double  the  extent  of  that  of  the 
British  Isles.  Like  them,  it  enjoys  the  advantages 
of  the  warm  equatorial  current  representing  in  the 
Pacific  our  own  Gulf  Stream. 

In  the  variety  of  its  natural  products  it  vastly 
surpasses  our  own  island  group.  In  Yezo,  the 
Northern  Island,  the  hill-tops  are  the  resort  of  the 
ptarmigan,  identical  with  the  bird  of  the  Scottish 
Highlands ;  and  the  pine  forests  below  are  the  home 
of  the  hazel  hen,  so  familiar  in  the  Swedish  dahls. 
The  great  Central  Island  of  Nippon  (a  name  strangely 

02 


20  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

corrupted  into  Japan  by  some  of  the  earlier  navi- 
gators) presents  us  with  the  varied  produce  of 
Northern  and  Central  Europe,  until  in  Kiushiu  we 
have  all  the  semi-tropical  luxuriance  of  Andalusia 
and  Southern  Italy,  and  of  even  still  more  tropical 
climes.  The  traveller  amongst  the  Ainu  of  the  north 
may  gather  his  bouquets  of  the  lily  of  the  valley  and 
various  Alpine  acquaintances  ;  whilst  the  wanderer 
amongst  the  villages  of  Satsuma  in  the  south  rests  in 
the  orange  groves  under  the  shade  of  the  palm,  lulled 
by  the  swish  of  the  never-resting  banana-leaves.1 
But  as  the  British  home  possessions  extend  to  the 
Shetlands  northwards,  and  to  the  Channel  Islands  in 
the  south,  so  the  empire  of  Japan  in  the  Kurile 
Islands  possesses  a  continuation  of  insular  territory 
to  almost  Arctic  limits ;  while  in  the  south  the 
archipelago  of  the  Loochoos,  connected  as  they  are 
with  Kiushiu  by  an  unbroken  chain  of  islets,  and 
beyond  these  again  the  Majico  Sima  group,  close  to 
Formosa,  bring  the  island  empire  to  the  edge  of  the 
tropics,  while  the  acquisition  of  the  latter  has 
brought  it  well  within  them. 

The  Japanese  writers  therefore  may  fairly  claim 
that  their  empire  stretches  across  the  Temperate 
zone.  Young  Japan  delights  to  talk  of  '  the  Britain 
of  the  Pacific,'  and  considering  the  very  good  opinion 
these  charming  people  had  of  themselves,  even  before 
the  war  of  1894,  we  ought  to  take  this  as  a  great 
compliment.  And  no  doubt,  with  their  vast  seaboard, 
countless  harbours,  and  inexhaustible  sea  fisheries, 

1  The  banana  lives,  but  does  not  bear  fruit  in  Kiushiu. 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS  21 


they  are  a  nation  of  born  sailors,  unapproached  by 
any  other  Eastern  nation.  A  Chinaman  behaves  well 
on  the  water  so  long  as  he  has  not  to  fight ;  a  Japa- 
nese fisherman — and  that  is  half  the  nation — is  at 
home  there.  The  fishing  industry  is  perhaps  quite 
as  important  to  Japan  as  the  raising  of  cereals ;  for, 
until  recently,  fish  was  the  only  animal  food  ever 
tasted  by  the  people,  and  still  is  exclusively  so  except 
in  European  settlements.  But  I  shall  have  much  to 
say  on  this  subject  hereafter. 

Long  before  the  war  with  China,  popular  writers 
in  Japan  had  set  their  heart  upon  the  acquisition  of 
Formosa,  which  can  be  easily  understood  on  studying 
the  map,  and  bearing  in  mind  their  maritime  aspira- 
tions. In  a  book  in  my  possession,  written  and 
printed  in  the  English  language  at  Tokio,  the  writer 
urges  the  importance  of  England  securing  Formosa  at 
the  earliest  opportunity,  as  being  the  only  security 
against  the  designs  of  Eussia,  who,  the  writer  assumed, 
was  prepared  to  absorb  that  island  as  well  as  Corea 
unless  forestalled  by  England. 

But  it  is  not  only  in  fisheries,  it  is  also  in  minera] 
wealth,  that  Japan  holds  a  position  of  pre-eminence 
which  may  be  compared  to  that  of  Spain  in  Europe. 
The  coal-fields,  both  in  the  south  and  north,  are 
inexhaustible,  and  have  scarcely  been  tapped.  Even 
though  very  slightly  developed,  the  yield  of  her 
copper-mines,  after  being  worked  for  ages,  far  exceeds 
the  demand,  and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 
mineral  deposits  are  equally  rich  in  every  department. 
Silver,  it  is  said,  used  to  be  comparatively  the  scarcest 


22  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

of  the  metals,  while  gold  was  abundant,  and  stories 
are  rife  of  the  enormous  fortunes  made  by  American 
speculators  at  the  first  opening  of  Japan,  between 
1854  and  1868,  who  bought  gold  in  the  interior  for 
twice  its  weight  in  silver.  It  would  require,  however, 
a  very  cute  speculator  to-day  to  make  a  profit  out  of 
a  Japanese  bullion  dealer. 

But  enough  of  this  preliminary  digression.  The 
detention  of  the  steamer  for  coaling  gave  me  the 
opportunity,  which  I  did  not  miss,  of  visiting  the 
outskirts  of  Nagasaki,  as  well  as  examining  the  beauti- 
ful manufacture  of  tortoiseshell  articles,  one  of  the 
staples  of  the  place,  and  which  in  delicacy  and 
minuteness  of  workmanship  far  surpasses  the  skill  of 
Naples. 

The  coaling  was  carried  on  in  very  primitive 
fashion.  The  indigenous  product  (for  the  coal-mines 
are  on  an  island  at  the  other  end  of  the  bay,  where 
they  are  worked  by  drifts  run  into  the  sides  of  the 
cliff)  is  passed  from  the  barges  in  small  baskets,  head 
over  head,  by  long  lines  of  women  and  lads,  chiefly 
the  former,  up  the  sides  of  the  ship,  and  into  the 
bunkers,  while  the  empty  mat  baskets  are  passed 
back  with  equal  rapidity  by  a  parallel  line  of 
workers. 

I  was  told  that  bunker  coal  at  that  time  could  be 
put  on  board  for  little  more  than  a  dollar  a  ton. 
Now,  I  believe,  the  price  is  very  much  higher,  owing 
to  the  increased  demand  caused  by  the  repeated 
strikes  in  England,  and  which  have  already  led, 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  Pacific  ports,  to  the 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS  23 

• 

supplanting  of  Welsh  and  North  of  England  coal  by 
the  cheaper  and  equally  useful  products  of  Japan, 
Vancouver  Island,  and  even  India.  I  have  learned 
that  since  my  visit  the  Japanese  coal-mining  (as 
might  have  been  expected)  has  rapidly  developed, 
and  likewise  the  quality  of  the  coal.  Certainly,  what 
we  took  in  was  very  friable  and  dusty,  but  it  was  the 
product  of  an  upper  seam  very  near  the  surface, 
worked  only  by  drifts  in  the  side,  while  last  year 
the  lower  seams,  struck  by  sinking  shafts,  have 
yielded  a  superior  quality. 

I  could  not  but  notice  the  instinctive  cleanliness 
even  of  the  women  who  were  working  at  coaling  the 
ship.  They  had  worn  a  sort  of  blue  cotton  poncho 
overall  and  a  blue  towel  twisted  on  their  heads,  to 
protect  their  elaborately  dressed  hair  from  the  dust. 
When  they  rested  from  work  they  at  once  threw  off 
this  outer  cloak,  carefully  shook  it,  folded  it  into  a 
small  roll,  and  then,  dusting  their  hair  and  washing 
their  hands  and  face  from  the  boat  side,  they  shook 
themselves  out  and  were  as  dapper  and  spruce  as  their 
neighbours. 

As  we  walked  on  shore  we  were  at  once  struck  by 
the  immense  variety  of  flowering  shrubs,  all,  at  this 
season,  one  blaze  of  bloom,  much  less  familiar  to 
English  eyes  than  those  of  the  more  northern  parts, 
many  of  which  are  acclimatised  at  home ;  but  few  of 
those  about  Nagasaki  can  with  us  be  more  than 
greenhouse  exotics. 

The  politeness  even  of  boatmen  and  jinriksha  men 
is  overpowering,  and  the  little  wooden  chalets  which 


24  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

line  the  roads,  behind  their  dainty  little  flower-plots, 
are  indeed  clean  and  bright. 

As  I  afterwards  travelled  at  leisure  through  a  great 
part  of  Kiushiu,  I  will  say  no  more  of  this  Devon- 
shire or  Kent  of  Japan.  Our  voyage  next  was  to 
Kobe,  at  the  northern  end  of  the  famous  Inland  Sea. 
Steamers  to  that  port  from  China  or  the  Strait* 
usually  make  it  to  the  east  of  Shikoku,  and  so  avoid 
the  circuitous  and  lengthy  threading  of  the  Inland 
Sea,  which,  however,  is,  I  believe,  for  beauty  and  love- 
liness absolutely  without  a  rival  in  the  world.  I  do 
not  say  this  hastily,  for  I  had  the  good  fortune  to 
make  the  voyage  three  times — twice  from  south  to 
north,  and  once  the  return  voyage  ;  and  these  were 
so  timed  that  on  one  or  other  occasion  I  have  tra- 
versed every  mile  of  that  fairy  sea  in  full  sunlight. 
Let  the  traveller  recall  the  finest  bits  of  coast  scenery 
he  can  recollect  -  -  the  Bay  of  Naples  in  spring, 
Wemyss  Bay  on  a  summer's  morning,  a  trip  round 
the  Isle  of  Wight,  threading  the  islands  of  Denmark's 
Sounds,  the  luxuriance  of  the  Sumatran  coast,  the 
windings  of  the  coral  islets  of  Bermuda — recall  which- 
ever of  them  you  please,  wait  but  an  hour  or  two — 
and  you  will  match  it  in  the  Inland  Sea. 

Before  entering  the  sea  itself,  we  were  winding  for 
ten  hours  between  the  Archipelago  of  Goto  and  the 
mainland  northward,  and  then,  turning  eastwards, 
crossed  the  Gulf  of  Genkai  and  steamed  through 
the  narrow  entrance  into  the  Inland  Sea,  the 
straits  of  Shimanoseki,  i.e.  Point  of  the  Islands, 
between  the  northern  poirf.  of  Kiushiu  and  the 


FIRST    IMPRESSIONS  25 

farthest  extremity  of  the  main  island  Hondo,  on 
which  are  the  flourishing  fishing  and  trading  towns  of 
Bakan  on  the  north  and  Moji  on  the  south,  the  latter 
being  prepared  for  a  powerful  battery  of  Armstrong 
guns. 

The  entrance  to  the  sea  is  a  narrow  passage, 
apparently  not  more  than  two  miles  wide.  It  was  a 
lovely  morning  as  we  entered.  The  whole  scene 
baffles  description  :  islands,  bays,  terrace-ribbed  hills, 
woods  of  stately  cryptomerias,  wooden  villages 
nestling  in  every  recess — the  distant  ones,  to  use  a 
very  unpoetic  simile,  looking  like  clumps  of  mush- 
rooms under  the  green  ridges.  The  sea,  resplendent 
as  a  mirror,  was  without  a  ripple,  fleets  of  fishing 
junks  were  dotted  about  everywhere,  sea  birds,  many 
species  new  to  me  in  life,  clumsily  splashing  out  of 
our  way,  and  diving  about  fearlessly  on  all  sides.  In 
these  latter  we  were  fortunate,  for  I  saw  comparatively 
few  birds  on  subsequent  visits.  But  the  winter 
emigrants  had  not  yet  started  for  their  summer  homes. 
There  were  mergansers  in  great  numbers,  grebes  of 
various  species,  and  countless  myriads  of  the  Pacific 
species  of  puffins,  shearwaters,  guillemots  and  crested 
auks.  There  were  also  abundance  of  sea-ducks, 
scoters,  scaups.  It  was  simply  a  fairy  scene  which 
passes  description.  But  alas  !  just  at  one  of  the 
finest  points  a  dense  fog  abruptly  met  us,  followed 
by  a  downpour  of  rain.  The  only  thing  was  tc 
anchor  at  once,  till  the  fog  should  lift. 

The  scenery  was  equally  enchanting  during  the 
whole  of  the  rest  of  the  voyage,  but  even  beauty 


26  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

unvaried  becomes  monotonous,  and  we  did  not  murmur 
at  sunset  robbing  us  of  our  scenery,  nor  rebel  at  the 
thought  of  retiring  to  our  berths.  Soon  after  dawn 
we  could  make  our  destination,  the  harbour  of  Kobe  ; 
very  different  from  Nagasaki,  comparatively  more  of 
an  open  roadstead,  and  a  long  straggling  city,  the 
most  part  of  low  wooden  houses,  with  a  few  handsome 
terraces  of  stone  houses,  built  European  fashion,  in 
front.  Behind  it  on  the  south-east  rises  a  range  of 
hills  about  1,000  feet  high,  on  the  lower  slopes  of 
which  part  of  the  town  is  built.  A  further  range  rising 
to  2,000  feet  is  the  favourite  summer  resort  of  the 
inhabitants,  known  as  Arima.  To  the  northward 
extends  a  low,  flat,  uninteresting  country  of  monoto- 
nous paddy-fields.  We  had  to  anchor  far  out,  but 
European  and  Chinese  harbour  extortions  do  not 
appear  to  have  reached  Japan.  We  soon  secured  a 
little  sampan,  which  tossed  about  very  much  like  an 
empty  tub,  but  landed  us  at  the  custom  house  for  the 
moderate  fare  of  2^d.  each.  The  customs  exami- 
nation was  not  rigorous,  the  officers  being  politeness 
itself,  and  though  sorely  puzzled  by  a  tiger's  skull 
and  anteater's  scaly  covering,  and  amused  by 
specimens  of  Chinamen's  clothes,  yet  passed  every- 
thing, even  the  prohibited  Chinese  embroidery,  on 
my  assuring  them  it  was  not  for  purposes  of  trade, 
but  for  presents  to  friends,  and  that  I  should  buy  far 
more  in  Japan.  Then  an  officer  observed  to  my 
daughter,  who  had  come  down  from  Osaka  to  join  me 
here,  '  Your  father's  friends  will  see  how  much  better 
things  there  are  in  Japan  than  in  China/ 


TSUDZURA    TWA    ROCK.   HARUNA. 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS  29 

The  sketches  which  accompany  this  chapter,  taken, 
as  they  are,  from  photographs,  will  explain  much 
better  than  any  description  the  varied  character  of 
the  scenery  of  the  Inland  Sea.  We  may  note  the  re- 
markable ingenuity  with  which  pines  of  various  kinds 
have  been  coaxed  to  grow  on  the  top  of  every  little 
isolated  rock  and  out  of  the  sides  of  every  cliff.  The 
pines  being  rooted  in  the  cracks  or  crevices  of  the 
cliffs,  are  cleverly  trained  laterally  to  the  desired 
length,  and  in  the  distance  may  be  seen  the  solitary 
pine  which,  like  a  monument,  crowns  an  isolated 
rock ;  while  the  fishing  village  nestled  under  the 
trees,  with  the  boats  drawn  up  in  perfect  security  in 
the  little  cove  which  no  storms  can  disturb,  is  a  type 
of  a  thousand  others  which  dot  the  shores  of  Japan. 
In  some  places  somewhat  lofty  mountains  approach 
the  coast,  especially  on  the  east  or  Shikoku  side  ;  for 
a  few  hours  after  leaving  the  straits  we  pass  the 
north-eastern  point  of  Kiushiu,  and  are  flanked  on 
the  eastward  by  the  adjoining  island  of  Shikoku,  the 
fourth  in  importance  of  the  Japanese  group.  The 
rocks  of  these  mountains,  chiefly  igneous,  often 
present  very  grotesque  forms.  It  is  difficult  to 
imagine  a  more  exact  representation  of  a  human  bust 
than  a  rock  in  the  forest  of  Haruna,  as  shown  in  the 
illustration. 


30  GAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 


CHAPTER  II 

•' 

YOKOHAMA    AND    TOKIO 

OUR  steamer  was  to  remain  a  day  at  Kobe,  so  we 
took  the  opportunity  of  spending  the  time  at  Osaka, 
the  Manchester  of  Japan,  only  twenty  miles  from 
Kobe  (accessible  by  frequent  trains  on  a  very 
European-looking  railway). 

For  some  little  distance  we  ran  along  the  foot  of 
the  hills,  amongst  which  nestles  out  of  sight  Arima, 
the  favourite  summer  resort,  with  its  mineral  springs 
and  waterfalls.  We  soon,  however,  left  the  hills 
and  crossed  a  monotonous  plain  intersected  by  a 
rectangular  network  of  dykes  and  ditches,  reminding 
one  very  much  of  the  country  between  Haarlem  and 
Amsterdam,  and  with  cultivation  yielding  nothing 
in  neatness  and  cleanliness  to  the  Dutch. 

Most  of  the  compartments  were  paddy — that  is, 
rice — fields,  in  a  few  of  which  the  green  blades 
were  appearing  above  the  black  mud.  But  a  very 
large  number  of  the  fields  were  cropped  with  rape 
just  now  in  full  bloom,  one  mass  of  golden  yellow, 
and  patches  of  cotton  just  budding,  giving  the 
whole  plain  the  appearance  of  a  chequered  carpet 
spangled  with  yellow  and  green. 

An  hour  brought  us  to  Osaka,  of  which  more  anon. 


YOKOHAMA   AND   TOKIO  33 

But  to  the  stranger  who  had  just  landed,  the  ways 
of  the  folk,  their  clean  houses,  lavish  use  of  flowers, 
chubby  clean  children,  with  either  dolls  or  babies 
strapped  to  their  backs,  pretty,  bright  women  and 
girls,  picturesque  balconied  houses,  canals  full  of 
boats  crossing  the  streets  continually — all  was  novel 
and  charming.  But  as  I  shall  have  occasion  to  write 
more  of  Osaka,  and  describe  the  missionary  work, 
of  which  it  is  the  centre,  later  on,  I  shall  say  no 
more  at  present. 

We  returned  to  Kobe,  and  re -embarked  on  board 
the  magnificent  Canadian-Pacific  steamer  Empress  of 
India,  Captain  Marshall,  R.N.R.,  and  weighed  anchor 
about  midnight.  Consequently  we  missed  the  coast 
scenery,  and  the  next  day,  as  it  was  blowing  a  gale 
of  wind,  we  stood  out  to  sea,  and  only  had  distant 
views  of  the  mountain  ranges.  The  following 
morning  we  landed  at  Yokohama. 

This,  the  place  where  many  travellers  first  touch 
Japan,  the  first  treaty  port,  and  the  port  of  Tokio, 
the  capital,  owes  its  importance  entirely  to  foreign 
trade.  It  was  merely  a  fishing  village  in  1854,  but 
now  a  magnificent  esplanade  of  splendid  houses  in 
the  European  style  faces  the  sea,  not  at  all  Japanese 
in  their  character.  On  both  sides  a  straggling 
native  town  of  mean  wooden  shanties  extends  along 
the  shore  ;  whilst  behind,  a  bold  eminence,  known 
as  the  Bluff,  within  the  limits  of  the  foreign  con- 
cession, is  covered  with  handsome  villas,  gardens, 
and  winding  drives.  For  the  stranger  who  wishes 
to  see  the  Japan  of  the  Japanese,  Yokohama  can 

D 


34  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

have  but  few  attractions  ;  the  miscellaneous  crowd 
drawn  to  a  great  seaport  being  by  no  means  im- 
proved by  contact  with  foreigners,  but  too  often 
imitating  the  vices  they  see,  and  losing  their  native 
simplicity.  At  the  same  time  the  emporiums  on  and 
near  the  esplanade  contain  by  far  the  finest  assort- 
ment of  Japanese  wares  and  curios,  at  the  best 
prices,  to  be  found  in  the  empire. 

Amidst  much  in  the  port  that  is  distressing  to 
a  Christian  Englishman  to  hear  of  and  witness,  I 
must  not  omit  to  mention  a  specially  bright  spot,  the 
Sailors'  Home,  combined  with  the  missions  to  seamen 
afloat,  under  the  direction  of  the  admirable  chaplain, 
the  Kev.  W.  T.  Austin,  and  his  indefatigable  wife- 
Dormitories,  dining-room,  and  recreation-room  are  all 
well  furnished,  whilst  an  attractive  reading-room  is 
more  liberally  supplied  with  papers,  magazines,  and 
light  reading  than  one  often  finds  out  of  England  ; 
many  of  the  merchants  and  agents  who  are  indifferent 
about  evangelistic  efforts  being  very  willing  to  con- 
tribute to  this  branch  of  the  work.  It  was  pleasing 
to  see  how  many  American  and  English  sailors 
appreciated  the  place.  I  had  not  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  work  of  the  American  missionaries  in  the 
native  town,  of  which  I  heard  good  reports. 

As  an  illustration  of  American  enterprise,  the  first 
letter  that  was  handed  to  me  before  I  left  the  ship 
was  one  from  a  dealer  in  birdskins,  who  had  seen  my 
name  in  the  passenger  list,  and,  recognising  me  as  a 
naturalist,  sent  a  special  invitation  on  board  by  his 
agent.  I  must  confess  he  was  rewarded  for  his  pains. 


YOKOHAMA   AND    TOKIO  35 

In  order  to  see  the  city  we  embarked  in  jinrikshas, 
the  universal  hansom  cabs  of  Japan.  They  are,  in 
fact,  a  light  armchair  with  a  hood,  on  a  pair  of 
bicycle  wheels,  with  long  shafts,  and  a  coolie  running 
between  them.  It  was  long  before  I  could  reconcile 
myself  to  the  sensation  of  being  dragged  about  by  a 
brother  man,  but  it  is  really  the  only  mode  of  locomo- 
tion, except  one's  own  legs,  possible  in  this  country 
outside  the  railways,  and  as  a  Japanese  once  said  to 
me,  '  Why  should  you  object  to  a  man-drawn  carriage ' 
(literal  translation  of  jinriksha),  '  when  you  have  no 
objection  to  being  pulled  by  a  man  in  a  boat  ? ' 

Towards  evening  we  went  by  rail  to  Tokio.  The 
railway  system  is  much  on  the  American  plan,  with 
the  important  exception  that  there  are  always  three 
classes  of  carriages ;  but  most  are  long  and  open 
down  the  centre,  and  well  ventilated.  The  country 
through  which  we  passed  was  rich  and  thoroughly 
cultivated.  On  one  side,  the  Bay  of  Tokio  studded 
with  shipping,  a  rice-covered  plain  intervening.  On 
the  other,  a  range  of  low  hills  with  picturesque  brown 
wooden  cottages,  frequent  little  temples  and  shrines 
marked  by  the  Shinto  gateway,  one  of  the  universal 
features  of  Japan  ;  and  orchards  of  fruit-trees.  On 
one  part  of  the  plain  was  an  expanse  of  pear-trees,  all 
trained  on  trellises  like  the  vines  of  Italy,  and  in  full 
bloom  ;  the  peach  and  cherry  were  everywhere  in  the 
glory  of  full  blossom.  In  fact,  it  is  chiefly  for  the 
blossom  that  these  fruit-trees  are  cultivated.  The 
plums  are  little  better  than  sloes,  the  cherries  very 
small,  and  the  peaches  poor.  So  little  are  the  fruits 

D  2 


36  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

appreciated  that  there  are  more  double-blossoming 
than  single-blossoming  trees,  and  the  blossom  by 
cultivation  has  been  developed  to  three  times  the 
size  of  the  corresponding  bloom  at  home — the  cherry 
bloom  often  attaining  the  size  of  our  wild  rose,  and 
the  peach  that  of  a  double  daisy.  There  was  nothing 
grand  on  the  route,  but  everything  attractive,  neat, 
clean,  and  sweet,  perfectly  in  keeping  with  the  bright 
little  folk  who  cover  the  land.  We  found  ourselves 
the  only  foreigners  in  the  long  American  car,  and 
whilst  my  daughter  talked  to  some  girls,  a  young 
Japanese  came  and  sat  by  me,  and  tried  to  air  his 
English,  which  was  very  scanty,  and  which  at  first  I 
did  not  recognise,  but  which  pleased  him  mightily. 
From  the  station  we  rode  in  jinrikshas  through 
wide  streets  with  the  most  picturesque-roofed,  one- 
storeyed  houses,  and  open  shops  decked  in  the  gayest 
colours.  All  was  wood,  paint,  and  paper.  It  was 
really  like  living  on  a  Japanese  screen.  Canals 
almost  as  numerous  as  streets  ;  and  by  the  side  of 
all  this  old-world  quaintness,  tramways  and  'buses, 
telegraph  poles — one  of  which  carried  sixty-four 
wires  as  I  counted  them — and  here  and  there  the 
whistle  of  engines,  and  the  chimneys  of  factories  ; 
now  and  then  little  boulevards  with  rows  of  peach- 
trees,  one  blaze  of  bloom. 

Tokio — that  is  the  east  capital — was  known  as 
Yedo  until  1868,  when  the  Mikado  took  up  his 
residence  there  instead  of  at  Kioto  or  Saikio,  the 
west  capital.  It  is  a  vast  place  extending  many 
miles,  and  having  a  population  of  one  million  three 


YOKOHAMA   AND   TOKIO  39 

hundred  and  eighty-nine  thousand  souls,  but  very 
flat,  the  greater  part  of  its  area  having  been  recovered 
from  the  sea  within  the  last  three  centuries  ;  the 
favourite  quarter  of  Shiba  on  a  low  ridge  being  the 
Highgate  and  Hampstead  of  the  place. 

We  were  quartered  for  a  few  days  at  Tsukiji,  in 
the  European  concession,  with  a  hospitable  friend,  the 
Kev.  J.  Williams,  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society. 
Missionaries  in  Japan  have  a  great  advantage  in  that 
the  people  are  not  jealous  of  Christian,  but  rather  of 
foreign,  influences,  and  keenly  appreciate  the  value  of 
education.  The  educational  system  in  Japan,  whether 
elementary,  secondary,  or  higher,  is  very  complete 
and  perfectly  organised.  The  government  subsidises 
it  liberally,  and  Christians  are  perfectly  untrammelled, 
while  there  are  Christian  professors  in  the  University, 
and  Christian  masters  in  the  schools.  The  empress, 
who  takes  a  lively  interest  in  education,  has  estab- 
lished a  college  for  ladies  with  handsome  buildings, 
where  the  daughters  of  the  nobility  resort. 

The  strange  juxtaposition  of  East  and  West,  of 
indigenous  and  European  civilisation,  never  ceases 
to  impress  one  :  all  the  women  in  native  bright 
costume,  many  of  the  men  in  European  dress  more 
or  less  well  fitting.  But  still  the  native  costume 
predominates  in  Tokio.  Everyone  carries  his  insignia 
embroidered  on  the  back  of  his  blouse  or  coat : 
employes  have  the  name  of  the  firm  in  huge  hiero 
glyphics  or  Chinese  characters  covering  the  whole 
of  their  back ;  gentlemen  always  have  their  crest 
embroidered  about  the  size  of  a  dollar  between  their 


40  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

shoulders.  The  huge  hieroglyphics  on  the  backs  of 
the  labouring  men  are  supposed  to  be  the  distortions 
of  ancient  Chinese  characters,  though  even  the 
learned  are  now  unable  to  decipher  them.  The 
armorial  bearings  of  the  gentry  are  rigidly  hereditary. 
The  Japanese  have  a  very  ancient  and  highly  sys- 
tematised  heraldry,  quite  distinct  in  its  idea  from  our 
bearings  and  shields,  and  taken  chiefly  from  leaves 
and  flowers.  Thus  the  ordinary  imperial  crest,  as 
emblazoned  on  all  the  Mikado's  carriages,  is  the 
chrysanthemum  ;  and  another,  the  more  official,  crest 
is  the  blossom  of  the  paulonia,  consisting  of  three 
upright  spikes  of  blossom,  like  that  of  the  horse- 
chestnut,  in  a  row,  with  three  leaves  hanging  down 
below.  The  insignia  of  the  latest  Shogun  dynasty 
was  a  trefoil  taken  from  a  large  species  of  the  herb 
Paris.  The  Shoguns,  or  mayors  of  the  palace,  were 
commonly  known  to  Europeans  before  the  opening  of 
Japan  as  Tycoons,  a  corruption  of  the  Chinese  Tai 
Kwon,  i.e.  great  general.  These  crests  or  badges  are 
impressed  on  all  the  old  porcelain  and  bronze,  and 
indicate  at  once  in  what  district  or  under  what 
Daimio  the  article  was  manufactured. 

The  palace  of  the  emperor,  with  its  widely  ex- 
tended parks  and  moats,  occupies  the  site  of  the  old 
castle  and  grounds  of  the  Shoguns.  The  park  is 
surrounded  by  a  wide  and  deep  moat,  the  enclosing 
walls  of  which  are  of  enormous  cyclopean  masonry. 
In  places  it  is  almost  choked  with  lotus  and  several 
species  of  water  lily,  and  crowded  with  wild  duck, 
amongst  which  the  beautiful  mandarin  duck  is  most 


YOKOHAMA   AND   TOKIO  41 

conspicuous.  Within  the  moat  are  the  old  magnifi- 
cent walls,  absolutely  impregnable  before  the  days  of 
gunpowder.  Passing  over  a  drawbridge  and  through 
the  gateway,  we  enter  the  outer  radius,  laid  out  as 
a  beautifully  kept  park.  Within  this  are  a  second 
moat  and  encircling  walls,  quite  as  wide  and  massive 
as  the  outer  circuit.  Within  these  again  are  the 
private  grounds,  gardens,  and  palace  of  the  emperor. 
I  should  have  mentioned  that  in  the  outer  park,  after 
crossing  the  first  moat  on  the  right,  was  the  debris  of 
an  extensive  range  of  wooden  buildings  which  had 
lately  been  destroyed  by  fire,  and  which,  with  the 
usual  promptness  of  Japan,  crowds  of  workmen  were 
busily  employed  in  clearing  away  :  already  they  had 
commenced  their  reconstruction.  These  ruins  were 
those  of  the  first  Parliament-house  of  Japan,  which, 
having  closely  imitated  the  English  Constitution  in 
its  two  houses  of  Legislature,  of  which  the  upper 
is  partly  hereditary  and  partly  nominated  for  life, 
further  imitated  us  in  the  burning  down  of  its  first 
St.  Stephen's,  though  after  a  much  shorter  experience. 
We  can  only  trust  that  the  carefully  devised  institu- 
tions of  Japan  may  be  more  permanent  than  their 
first  home. 

Beyond  the  site  of  the  Parliament-houses  is  a  wide 
parade  ground,  answering  to  our  St.  James's  Park. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  park  is  a  vast  range  of 
buildings,  the  offices  of  the  various  government 
departments,  in  which  our  own  subdivisions  of  the 
Treasury,  Home  Office,  Education,  etc.,  etc.,  have 
been  pretty  closely  followed.  Here  also  is  the 


42  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

government  printing  office,  and  the  manufactory 
of  bank-note  paper,  which,  is  a  legal  currency. 
Strangers  are  permitted  to  see  the  printing  office. 

The  palace  itself  was  not  open  to  visitors  when  we 
were  there,  as  it  was  occupied  by  the  emperor.  In 
its  outline  it  follows  the  antique  Japanese  architec- 
ture, while  a  great  part  of  it  is  internally  furnished 
after  the  European  fashion. 

Just  beyond  the  outer  moat  of  the  imperial  park 
is  situated  the  British  legation.  I  cannot  sufficiently 
acknowledge  the  courtesy  and  kindness  of  our 
minister,  the  late  Mr.  Frazer,  whose  recent  death  we 
have  to  deplore  ;  through  whose  kind  efforts  we  at 
once  obtained  special  passports  enabling  us  for  six 
months  to  travel  wherever  we  pleased,  without  being 
troubled  by  the  police  authorities,  a  favour  which  is 
very  rarely  granted,  and  which  caused  us  to  be  the 
envy  of  many  of  our  compatriots.  I  had  letters  to 
Count  Ito,  and  recommendations  from  the  Foreign 
Office  as  a  scientific  man  much  interested  in  educa- 
tional work.  These  proved  of  great  value  in  my 
rambles. 

Our  next  day's  sight-seeing  was  an  expedition  to 
Uyeno,  the  Hyde  Park  or  South  Kensington  of  Tokio. 
Here  have  been  held  three  national  industrial  exhibi- 
tions. Of  course,  as  we  had  a  journey  of  some  miles 
across  the  city,  we  made  the  expedition  in  jinrikshas, 
or,  as  they  are  commonly  called  by  the  Japanese, 
kurumas,  I  now  experienced  for  the  first,  but  not 
the  last,  time  the  tantalising  inconvenience  of  this 
Japanese  mode  of  travelling.  There  were  four  of  us 


YOKOHAMA    AND    TOKIO  45 

in  a  line,  quite  unable  to  converse,  while  I,  seeing 
every  minute  new  and  perplexing  sights,  with  my 
daughter  just  in  front  of  me,  but  quite  unable  to  ask 
her  a  question,  was  obliged  to  be  content  with  the 
contemplation  of  the  back  of  her  hat.  The  speed 
which  our  coolies  keep  up  is  really  amazing.  They 
maintain  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour,  and  fre- 
quently a  greater  speed  if  the  distance  be  short. 
OQ  one  occasion  two  men  with  one  kuruma  kept 
up  this  speed  for  four  hours  without  a  moment's 
halt.  At  length,  as  we  approached  Uyeno,  we  came 
to  a  slight  ascent,  and  were  very  glad  to  get  out 
and  walk,  though  one  frequently  finds  that  the  men 
consider  the  attempt  to  walk  uphill  a  slight  upon 
their  powers,  and  try  to  prevent  one  from  alighting. 
Entering  the  park,  we  visited  the  Technical  Museum, 
that  of  Natural  History,  and  that  of  Japanese 
Antiquities. 

The  Natural  History  Museum  is  only  in  its  in- 
fancy, and  the  industrial  department  gives  a  very  good 
illustration  of  the  various  manufactures,  textile,  metal, 
porcelain  and  lacquer,  of  the  country.  But  the 
national  antiquities  are  such  as  can  be  seen  and 
studied  nowhere  else.  They  begin  by  the  stone 
arrow-heads,  spear-heads,  celts,  and  pottery  of  the  pre- 
historic period,  differing  very  slightly  from  our  own. 
Some  of  the  rude  pierced  ornaments  and  beads  are 
still  in  use  in  the  Loochoo  Islands,  and  of  exactly  the 
same  shape,  thus  giving  us  one  of  the  very  few  indica- 
tions we  possess  as  to  the  origin  of  the  early  inhabi- 
tants of  Japan.  Next  follow,  as  in  Western  Europe, 


46  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

the  mirrors,  utensils,  and  weapons  of  the  bronze 
period,  with  pottery  of  a  less  rude  character.  Then 
follow  a  large  collection  of  various  articles,  and  of 
pottery  figures  of  men,  horses,  and  birds,  which  were 
found  in  great  quantities  inside  the  funereal  mound 
of  one  of  the  earlier  emperors.  The  next  hall  is 
devoted  to  antiquities  of  the  historic  period,  the 
earliest  certain  date  being  A.D.  708,  from  which  period 
downwards  there  is  a  fine  collection  of  coins ;  the 
ancient  coins  were  not  circular,  but  oblong,  some  of 
the  gold  ones  very  large  and  covered  with  hiero- 
glyphics, but  no  busts.  The  other  antiquities  are 
chiefly  of  Buddhist  origin ;  but  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting collections  is  that  of  the  Christian  relics, 
especially  those  brought  by  the  embassy  sent  to  Eome 
by  the  Prince  of  Sendai,  A.D.  1614. 

There  is  an  amusing  difference  in  the  Japanese 
and  Eoman  versions  of  this  embassy.  The  European 
writers  state  that  the  envoy  went  on  the  part  of  the 
Shogun  to  recognise  the  supremacy  of  the  pope,  who 
in  return  presented  him  with  the  freedom  of  the  city 
of  Rome  and  loaded  him  with  presents.  The  Japanese, 
on  the  contrary,  state  that  the  Shogun  sent  the  envoy 
in  order  to  report  upon  the  political  power  and 
military  strength  of  the  European  nations.  Amongst 
the  relics  is  a  Latin  deed  conferring  on  Hashikura  the 
freedom  of  the  city  of  Eome,  a  picture  of  him  in 
prayer  before  the  crucifix  in  his  European  costume, 
and  copies  of  the  prince's  letters  to  the  pope  in 
Japanese  and  Latin.  By  the  side  of  these  are  shown 
the  trampling  boards — i.e.  large  metal  slabs,  with 


YOKOHAMA   AND    TOKIO  47 

figures  of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  and  of  the  different 
incidents  of  the  Passion  —  on  which  suspected 
Christians  were  compelled  to  trample  in  order  to 
testify  their  abjuration  of  Christianity.  This  collec- 
tion must  be  one  of  the  most  touching  interest  to 
every  Christian. 

In  other  halls  are  exhibited  the  quaint  furniture 
and  trappings  used  by  the  Mikado  and  Shogun  and 
their  courts  up  to  the  time  of  the  present  generation. 
The  most  curious  are  an  ancient  bullock  carriage  and 
palanquins,  most  richly  carved  and  gilded,  as  well 
as  the  state  barge  used  by  the  Shoguns.  These 
bullock  carriages  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  kuruma 
of  to-day  that  the  state  coach  of  Queen  Elizabeth 
does  to  a  modern  landau.  There  was  also  the  throne 
of  the  ancient  Mikados,  with  the  rich  silk  hangings 
that  used  to  conceal  him  from  the  gaze  of  his  subjects, 
who  were  only  allowed  to  see  his  feefc.  Some  of  the 
state  carriages  are  three  hundred  years  old,  and  the 
lacquer  work  and  porcelain  jars  are  of  untold  value. 
There  is,  besides,  a  fine  collection  of  old  Japanese 
armour  and  swords. 

We  went  next  to  the  Zoological  Gardens,  which 
are  only  in  their  infancy.  Two  sheep  in  a  cage 
between  some  small  bears  on  the  one  side  and  leopards 
on  the  other  were  evidently  the  most  popular 
curiosity.  They  were  taken  for  lions,  and  when  they 
bleated  some  of  the  children  exclaimed,  '  Lions 


roaring ! 


"We  then  went  on  to  a  very  fine  Shinto  temple,  the 
arrangement  consisting  of  various  separate  buildings. 


48  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

Facing  the  shrine  of  the  central  temple  was  a  large 
hall,  quite  open  in  front ;  in  fact,  the  stage  of  a 
theatre,  with  roof  and  walls  of  wood  most  gorgeously 
carved,  gilded  and  painted.  A  play  was  being  per- 
formed. All  the  actors  were  men  dressed  in  antique 
costume ;  all  wore  masks,  some  of  them  grotesque, 
and  there  was  much  pantomime  and  recitation.  The 
theatricals  seemed  to  resemble  what  I  had  seen  in 
Chinese  temples,  and,  evidently  connected  more  or 
less  directly  with  the  worship,  reminded  me  of  what 
one  reads  of  the  miracle  plays  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

We  turned  round — the  temple  shrine  was  just  in 
front  of  us,  much  like  another  stage,  almost  the 
counterpart  of  the  theatre.  Within  the  shrine  was 
only  a  large  circular  disc  or  mirror  of  burnished 
metal,  with  long  strips  of  white  paper  suspended  from 
inscribed  tablets  on  either  side.  In  front  of  it  a 
lavish  display  of  lights  burning  ;  a  number  of  priests 
in  green  vestments  with  strange  instruments,  all 
sitting  on  the  elevated  platform  and  producing  weird 
music ;  below  this  dais  the  people  kneeling  in  prayer, 
frequently  clapping  their  hands ;  while  the  whole 
sacrarium  was  covered  with  small  coins,  called  rin, 
the  value  of  each  being  the  twentieth  of  a  penny, 
which  the  people  threw,  aiming  them  at  a  large  box 
placed  in  the  middle  of  the  sanctuary.  This  we 
found  was  a  great,  function  —the  anniversary  of  the 
death  of  one  of  the  Shoguns. 

The  Shinto  worship  is  utterly  different  from  the 
Taouism  of  China,  and  has  none  of  its  gross  idolatry. 
In  some  respects  it  is  analogous  to  the  old  Persian 


YOKOHAMA   AND   TOKIO  49 

fire  worship,  the  mirror  representing  the  sun,  who 
himself  is  the  representative  of  the  invisible  Deity, 
while  the  Mikado  is  the  human  representative  of  the 
sun,  and  therefore,  in  some  degree,  a  partaker  of  the 
divine  nature.  Nor  is  this  all  the  meaning  of  the 
mirror,  the  great  feature  of  Shinto  worship.  In  it 
man  is  supposed  to  see  his  own  heart  mirrored,  and, 
comparing  it  with  the  purity  of  the  white  paper  by 
its  side,  to  see  wherein  he  fails,  and  correct  it.  A 
Japanese  was  supposed  to  be  superior  to  any  moral 
code ;  one  glance  at  his  heart  was  sufficient,  and 
he  would  certainly  reform  himself. 

Close  by  are  the  tombs  of  the  Shoguns,  with  two 
mortuary  temples.  The  carving  and  gilding  of  these 
temples  is  lavishly  rich  in  barbaric  splendour.  The 
whole  structure  is  exclusively  of  wood,  the  ground 
colour  of  everything  being  painted  red,  upon  which 
the  most  skilful  native  art  has  been  lavishly  employed 
both  in  painting  and  sculpture.  Their  open-work 
carving  of  birds  and  flowers,  the  symbolic  chrysan- 
themum predominating,  is  mingled  with  the  richest 
arabesques;  the  columns  are  wreathed  with  plum- 
blossoms  in  red  and  gold,  the  beams  with  lions'  heads 
also  in  red  and  gold.  Within  the  shrines  are  memo- 
rial tablets,  sumptuous  specimens  of  the  most  costly 
gold  lacquer,  commemorating  the  dead.  Another 
temple  contains  the  shrines  of  the  mothers  of  eight 
Shoguns.  Amongst  the  fantastic  animals  which 
decorate  the  panels  of  these  buildings  I  was  surprised 
to  notice  both  the  unicorn  and  the  phoenix,  probably 
suggested  in  the  sixteenth  century  by  the  intercourse 

E 

'&*- 


50  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

of  Japan  with  Western  Europe.  An  even  finer 
temple  than  these  formerly  existed  on  the  site  of 
the  museum,  but  was  burnt  down  five-and-twenty 
years  ago,  during  a  battle  fought  in  this  park 
between  the  troops  of  the  Mikado  and  those  of  the 
last  Shogun. 

Passing  from  the  temples,  we  walked  under  a 
gorgeous  avenue  of  cherry-trees,  just  now  in  full 
blossom  and  at  this  time  the  great  attraction  of  Tokio. 
It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the 
pink  cherry-blossom.  It  is  like  nothing  else,  and  has 
been  called  '  uniquely  beautiful.'  One  looks  up  and 
the  air  seems  filled  with  pink  clouds.  The  natives, 
with  their  instinctive  eye  for  beauty,  are  never  tired 
of  these  promenades.  On  one  occasion,  when  we 
were  making  an  excursion,  our  kurunla  men  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  take  us  round  by  the  cherry  avenue. 
When  we  replied  that  it  would  be  more  than  a  mile 
out  of  our  way,  the  men  said  they  would  charge  us 
nothing  more  if  we  would  only  go,  for  the  beauty  of 
the  place  would  abundantly  reward  them.  I  have 
not  met  with  a  London  cabman  with  such  an  appreci- 
ation of  the  beauty  of  our  parks  in  spring.  One  of 
the  striking  features  of  the  Uyeno  temples  are  the 
colossal  bronze  standard  lanterns,  some  of  them  eight 
or  ten  feet  high,  which  are  placed  singly  or  in  rows 
leading  up  to  the  temple.  Immense  stone  lanterns 
of  the  same  model  often  occur  in  various  temple 
grounds.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  enormous 
value  of  the  metal  of  the  solid  bronze  masses.  They 
are  the  gift  of  various  great  Daimios  or  other  rich 


E    2 


YOKOHAMA    AND    TOKIO  53 

men  to  the  memory  of  the  Shoguns,  and  each  lantern 
has  the  name  of  the  donor  inscribed  upon  it. 

After  these  reminiscences  of  the  Japan  of  the  past, 
I  spent  two  days  in  visiting  the  University  of  Tokio, 
the  embryo  Japan  of  the  future.  The  Imperial 
University  is  intended  for  the  whole  country,  and  is 
the  only  university  in  the  empire.  All  students  must 
have  previously  passed  through  one  of  the  three  great 
colleges,  which  are  supported  by  the  government,  and 
of  which  there  is  one  in  the  island  of  Kiushiu  and  two 
in  Hondo.  There  are  more  than  1,300  students  at 
the  university.  I  met  a  number  of  professors,  most 
of  them  native  gentlemen,  graduates  of  Cambridge, 
Leipsic,  and  Harvard,  amongst  them  a  wrangler  and 
two  English  professors,  both  Fellows  of  the  Royal 
Society.  I  had  an  introduction  to  Dr.  Ijima,  the  head 
of  the  zoological  department,  where  there  is  really  a 
fine  national  collection,  and  the  nucleus  of  a  good 
general  museum.  I  was  invited  to  dine  in  the 
common-room  with  the  professors,  who  all  spoke 
English  fluently.  The  dinner,  however,  was  not 
purely  Japanese,  for  knives  and  forks  and  European 
as  well  as  native  dishes  were  generally  patronised. 
The  students  do  not  reside  in  college,  nor  is  there  any 
collegiate  discipline.  They  appeared  generally  to 
wear  a  dress  modified  from  our  cap  and  gown. 

I  was  much  interested  with  the  botanic  gardens, 
and  learned  a  good  deal  from  the  curator,  as  well  as 
from  the  gardeners  who  happened  to  be  employed  by 
my  host,  of  the  Japanese  arts  of  dwarfing,  transplant- 
ing, and  distorting  trees  and  shrubs.  They  success- 


54  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

fully  transplant  forest  trees  at  any  age.  They  have 
dwarf  pines,  cryptomerias,  maples,  and  oranges,  living 
and  healthy,  only  a  few  inches  high,  with  leaves 
blossom,  fruit,  all  equally  liliputian,  in  perfect  pro- 
portion. They  are  extremely  fond  of  the  grotesque 
and  artificial  How  the  double  blossoms  and  the 
spotted  foliage  plants,  of  which  they  are  so  fond,  are 
produced,  I  was  not  able  to  ascertain.  Most  effective 
are  the  trees,  maples  and  others,  in  which  the  foliage 
of  each  branch  is  of  a  different  colour.  Thus  I  have 
seen  a  well-grown  maple-tree  with  seven  large  limbs, 
each  having  foliage  of  a  different  hue,  varying  from 
dark  copper  to  pink  and  greenish- white — this,  of 
course,  by  grafting.  The  trees  that  are  intended  to 
be  dwarfed  are  placed  in  pots  alongside  of  a  wire 
frame ;  it  may  be  two  or  three  feet  in  height,  or 
perhaps  only  a  few  inches.  This  frame  represents  the 
exact  number,  shape,  and  size  of  the  branches  the 
tree  is  to  be  allowed  to  have ;  and  every  branch  is 
bound  to  the  wire  or  else  cut  off.  The  roots  are 
carefully  pruned  and  confined,  and  the  young  foliage 
is  unceasingly  nipped  off.  The  transplanting  of  full- 
grown  trees  was  very  simple.  The  roots  were  simply 
laid  bare,  taking  especial  care  to  preserve  the  most 
delicate  fibres,  and,  as  soon  as  the  earth  has  been 
cleared  away  by  the  fingers  or  sticks,  not  with  spades, 
lest  they  should  be  bruised,  each  bunch  of  rootlets  is 
confined  in  a  little  cotton  bag.  I  have  seen  a  tree 
moved  in  this  way  which  required  twenty  men  to 
move  it  with  rollers.  When  the  tree  is  placed  in 
its  new  position,  the  bags  are  unloosed  one  by  one, 


JAPANESE  SOLDIER  OF  THE  OLD  TIME. 


YOKOHAMA    AND    TOKIO 

and  fine,  pulverised  soil  carefully  sprinkled  between 
the  fibres,  no  rootlet  being  allowed  to  touch  another. 
They  attach  great  importance  to  the  work  of  trans- 
planting, which  is  always  begun  in  the  evening,  being 
completed  before  the  heat  of  the  next  day.  However, 
Japanese  gardening  is  an  art  which  it  evidently 
requires  years  to  master,  and  which  would  well  repay 
the  student  of  plant  life. 

Charming  as  are  the  buildings  and  scenery  of 
Uyeno,  they  are  certainly  in  almost  every  point 
excelled  by  those  of  Shiba, 
situated  at  the  southern 
end,  as  Uyeno  is  at  the 
northern,  of  the  great  city. 
We  spent  portions  of  several 
days  in  visiting  this  maze 
of  gardens,  temples,  and 
tombs.  The  great  street 
leading  to  it  contains  the 
most  interesting  shops  of 
every  kind,  the  type  of 
which  is  but  little  spoiled 
by  European  innovations. 
Here  is  the  Wardour  Street 
of  Tokio. 

I  was  most  attracted  by 
the  fine  collections  of  the  ancient   armour,  now— 
alas,  for  picturesque  quaintness ! — utterly  discarded. 
As  one  watched  the  nimble  battalions  of  little  rifle- 
men marching  through  the  streets  on  their  way  to  or 
from  parade  in  their  Frenchified  uniform,  and  now 


JAPANESE  BRONZE   LANTERN. 


58  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

read  of  their  prowess  against  their  hereditary  rivals, 
we  could  hardly  realise  that  not  only  the  grand- 
fathers but  the  fathers  of  these  dapper  little  men 
had  paraded  these  same  streets  in  all  the  glory  of 
their  medieval  accoutrements,  weighted  with  chain 
armour  and  steel  helmets,  and  girt  with  their  two 
swords. 

The  collections  of  old  armour  and  swords  in  these- 
shops  were  to  me  as  fascinating  as  a  display  of  the 
fashions  in  Regent  Street  to  an  English  belle,  while 
the  prices,  as  far  as  I  could  judge,  were  extremely 
moderate.  I  made  many  purchases  at  a  price  really 
less  than  the  value  of  the  material.  Amongst  the 
most  beautiful  specimens  of  Japanese  art  were  the 
richly  inlaid  guards  of  the  swords,  elaborately  worked 
in  gold  or  silver  in  endless  artistic  devices.  Some  of 
the  sheaths  also  were  exquisitely  ornamented  in  the 
same  fashion.  In  fact,  ancient  armour  was  at  this 
time  a  drug  in  the  market,  many  of  the  poorer 
Samurai  being  compelled  to  part  with  their  treasured 
accoutrements  for  rice.  We  purchased  several  swords 
of  very  fine  temper  for  moderate  prices,  but  the  work 
of  some  of  the  celebrated  artificers  of  these  blades 
still  commands  a  fancy  price,  their  reputation  sur- 
passing the  reputation  of  the  finest  Damascus  blades. 
The  names  of  some  few  of  these  artificers  are  handed 
down  for  many  generations,  and  their  blades,  which 
are  marked  and  recognised,  are  treasured  as  a 
Stradivarius  would  be  by  a  musical  connoisseur. 

There  were  also  for  sale  large  collections  of  nitsuki, 
or  ivory  carvings — a  kind  of  large  button  used  for 


ANCIENT  JAPANESE   AKCHEB. 


YOKOHAMA   AND   TOKIO 


61 


fastening  the  inevitable  pipe  and  pouch  into  the 
girdle.  Some  of  these  are  exquisitely  carved,  and 
are  masterpieces  of  art  —  mice  nearly  life  size, 
squirrels  and  various  small  animals  in  all  sorts 


JAPANESE   BUTTONS. 


of  attitudes,  where  the  artist  has  indulged  his 
lively  fancy  in  every  form  of  grotesque  humour. 
These  sculptured  nitsuki  are  pierced  with  two  holes, 
through  which  a  silk  cord  is  passed,  on  which  used 
to  be  hung  little  bags  of  flint  and  steel,  tobacco 


62  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

and  bamboo  pipe  with  its  tiny  brass  bowl.  The  flint, 
steel,  and  tinder-box  are  of  course  now  superseded  by 
matches.  The  grotesque  generally  preponderates  in 
these  nitsuki,  but  many  of  them  are  historical  figures 
or  illustrations  of  domestic  life.  In  fact,  from  these 
carvings  one  may  get  as  complete  an  idea  of  Japanese 
life  as  we  may  of  Egyptian  from  the  frescoes  by  the 
Nile.  Ivory  has  evidently  been  a  most  abundant 
material  in  Japan  until  recently,  but  it  is  not  the 
ivory  of  the  elephant  from  India.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  imported  from  Corea,  whither  it  had  been 
brought  from  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  strewn 
with  the  tusks  of  the  prehistoric  mammoth. 

Being  in  search  of  a  butterfly-net,  or  the  where- 
withal to  make  it,  I  was  directed  to  the  shop  of  a 
dealer  in  fishing-tackle.  It  was  interesting  to  find 
that  the  trout  and  salmon  of  Japan  succumb  to  the 
same  wiles  as  their  fellows  in  Northern  Europe.  But 
while  the  flies  were  home-made,  the  hooks  themselves 
were  all  supplied  from  Red  ditch,  the  wares  of  which 
have  completely  supplanted  the  native  manufacture. 
Gaudy  salmon  flies,  brown  palmers,  and  other  familiar 
types,  recalled,  in  that  far-off  land,  the  memories  of 
many  a  Northumbrian  '  burn.'  We  found,  too,  a 
taxidermist's  shop  ;  for  the  study  of  Nature  in  all  its 
branches,  botany  especially,  was  appreciated  by  the 
Japanese  long  before  the  country  was  opened  to  inter- 
course with  Europe.  While  rummaging  his  stores,  I 
came  across  an  excessively  rare  bird  from  the  Loochoo 
Islands,  of  which  only  two  or  three  specimens  had 
ever  reached  Europe.  I  had  found  his  prices  very 


YOKOHAMA   AND    TOKIO  63 

moderate,  but  for  this  he  asked  me  five  dollars.  I 
demurred  to  the  price,  but  I  have  always  found  the 
Japanese  are  at  once  fetched  by  a  joke  ;  and  so,  when 
he  told  me  that  the  dealer  in  live  birds  across  the 
street  asked  twenty-five  dollars  for  a  living  bird,  I 
replied,  through  my  daughter,  that  such  a  good  man 
as  he  was  worth  a  thousand  dollars  when  alive,  but  I 
would  be  sorry  to  give  ten  for  him  when  dead.  The 
dealer  threw  himself  back,  laughing  heartily  at  the 
joke,  and  said  I  might  have  it  for  a  dollar. 

But  nothing  in  this  street  was  more  interesting  to 
me  than  the  shops  of  the  dealers  in  live  birds.  I  have 
never  been  able  to  ascertain  how  the  Japanese  succeed 
in  keeping  in  captivity  many  species  which  with  us 
pine  and  perish  in  confinement.  One  of  the  commonest 
cage-birds  is  the  titmouse,  all  the  species  of  which, 
several  of  them  identical  with,  or  closely  allied  to,  our 
own,  as  the  great,  marsh,  and  cole-tits,  seem  most 
happy  and  healthy  in  their  little  bamboo  prisons. 
The  Japanese  robin,  a  close  cousin  of  our  own,  and 
only  to  be  distinguished  by  his  under-parts  being 
steel-grey  where  ours  are  white,  is  also  a  very  favourite 
cage-bird.  I  often  thought,  when  I  saw  robins, 
titmice,  warblers,  and  the  like,  singing  brightly  and 
evidently  at  their  ease  in  their  cages — birds  which  we 
never,  or  very  rarely,  succeed  in  domesticating — that 
there  must  be  something  very  sympathetic  in  the 
Japanese  nature,  some  magnetic  attraction  between 
them  and  the  birds,  which  is  foreign  to  our  more 
phlegmatic  Western  nature.  I  was  struck,  too,  by 
the  contrast,  in  appearance  and  plumage,  between  the 


64  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

sprightly  cage-birds  of  Japan  and  the  draggled, 
miserable-looking  captives  which  I  have  seen  in  the 
Chinese  bazaars.  But  the  Japanese  cultivates  his 
captives  because  he  loves  them  ;  the  Chinaman  entraps 
them  to  trade  with  the  foreigner.  The  abundance  of 
swallows  skimming  in  all  the  streets,  and  threading 
their  rapid  flight  between  the  heads  of  the  passers-by, 
must  strike  the  most  unobservant.  Scarcely  a  house 
or  shop  in  Tokio  is  without  one  pair  at  least  of  these 
cheery  little  summer  residents.  They  are  of  two 
species,  one  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  our  own 
chimney  swallow,  the  other  the  red-rumped  swallow, 
almost  as  abundant,  but  easily  to  be  distinguished  by 
the  bright  red  of  the  lower  back,  and  its  streaked 
throat  and  breast.  There  being  no  chimneys,  both 
species  adapt  themselves  to  circumstances  and  build 
on  the  rafters  and  ledges  of  the  houses  and  shops, 
within  reach  of  any  passer-by,  flitting  in  and  out  with 
the  fearlessness  of  domestic  pets.  To  molest  them 
would  be  a  crime  equal  to  rudeness  to  a  fellow- 
creature.  And  in  order  to  prevent  any  dirt  or  untidi- 
ness, a  thin  board  is  carefully  suspended  under  every 
nest,  and  daily  cleaned.  Our  chimney  swallow  finds 
a  ledge  to  build  his  open  nest,  but  the  other  attaches 
bis  mud  structure  to  the  roof,  after  the  fashion  of 
our  window  martin,  and  for  greater  security  adds  a 
funnel-shaped  passage  about  a  foot  long  of  the  same 
material.  Hence  they  are  called  in  the  country  '  the 
bottle  swallows.' 

But  we  have  lingered  long  on  the  way  to  Shiba  ! 
Shiba  has  a  charm  of  its  own  in  the  fact  of  its  being 


YOKOHAMA    AND    TOKIO  65 

on  rising  ground  ;  and  the  magnificent  and  noble  trees 
certainly  are  an  exception  to  the  ordinary  diminutive- 
ness  of  most  things  in  Japan.  As  a  friend  remarked 
when  he  had  first  seen  an  avenue  of  gigantic  crypto- 
merias,  '  It  is  worth  coming  to  Japan  to  see  the 
cryptomeria  at  home.'  The  floral  glories  of  the  islands 
were  at  their  height.  The  glowing  sheets  of  colour 
covered  the  double-blossoming  cherries  and  peaches 
of  every  hue,  from  the  deepest  crimson  to  the  purest 
white,  in  great  masses  ;  and  then  the  cryptomerias, 
maples,  Salisburias,  and  other  trees,  with  their  pale 
and  dark  foliage,  were  grouped  artistically  in  a  way 
of  which  we  have  no  conception. 

But  the  central  attractions  of  Shiba  are  the  shrines, 
sacred  to  the  memory  of  Shoguns  of  the  Tokugawa 
family,  six  of  whom  are  buried  at  Uyeno,  two  at 
Nikko,  and  six  at  Shiba,  whilst  the  last  deposed 
prince  is  still  living.  These  shrines  are  of  very  rich 
woodwork,  with  the  most  elaborate  gilding,  approached 
through  numerous  groups  of  colossal  stone  lanterns. 
We  enter  by  a  gateway  whose  pillars  have  metal 
dragons  twisted  round  them,  and  are  gilt.  The  court 
inside  this  gate  is  lined  with  two  hundred  and  twelve 
huge  bronze  lanterns,  the  gift  of  different  Daimios 
during  the  last  two  centuries.  Through  a  third  gate 
are  galleries  with  richly  painted  panels  and  carved 
birds  and  flowers,  while  the  beams  of  the  roof  of  the 
temple  are  carved  into  the  shapes  of  dragons.  Here 
we  had  to  take  off  our  shoes  before  we  entered  what 
may  be  called  the  chancel  or  sanctuary.  Within  the 
inmost  sanctuary  are  shrines  in  which  are  concealed 

F 


:  ir 


66  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

the  statues  of  the  different  Shoguns.  But  these 
images,  the  gifts  of  emperors,  are  never  shown,  so 
that  there  are  no  images  visible.  On  the  outer  plat- 
form the  Samurai  and  lesser  gentry  used  to  worship, 
whilst  in  the  corridor  leading  to  the  inner  sanctum 
the  great  Daimios  were  admitted  ;  the  Great  Shogun 
alone  worshipping  in  the  inner  sanctuary.  On  either 
side  of  the  shrines  are  wooden  statues  of  the  guardian 
angels,  who  are  supposed  to  protect  the  world  against 
demons.  The  outer  courts  of  these  shrines  are 
decorated  with  barbaric  magnificence.  The  most 
gorgeous  gold  lacquer  is  held  together  by  costly  and 
beautifully  executed  metal  work.  It  is  curious  to 
note  amongst  the  favourite  decorations  the  unicorn, 
the  fabled  animal,  which  seems  to  be  recognised  in 
the  East  as  well  as  in  the  West.  Behind  these 
gorgeous  temples  a  long  flight  of  stone  steps  leads 
up  to  the  tombs  of  some  of  the  Shoguns.  Most  of 
these  tombs  are  striking  for  their  austere  simplicity, 
everything  about  them  being  suggestive  of  power, 
in  striking  contrast  to  the  lavish  decorations  of  the 
temples  in  front. 

About  a  mile  farther  on  is  a  very  curious  Buddhist 
temple,  the  burial-place  of  the  forty-seven  Eonins, 
who  are  looked  upon  as  national  heroes  by  the 
Japanese,  and  form  the  groundwork  of  one  of  the 
most  popular  romances.  Although  the  events  are 
said  to  have  occurred  only  about  two  hundred  years 
ago,  they  take  a  place  in  Japanese  romance  not  unlike 
that  of  the  heroes  of  King  Arthur's  Bound  Table 
amongst  ourselves.  The  outlines  of  the  story  are 


YOKOHAMA   AND    TOKIO  69 

worth  telling,  as  illustrating  the  national  spirit,  which 
elevated  a  bloodthirsty  revenge  to  the  highest  place 
among  the  social  virtues.  The  story  is  briefly  this  : 

One  Daimio  having  been  assassinated  by  another 
in  a  dastardly  manner,  his  vassals,  or  Samurai,  as 
they  are  called  (a  position  somewhat  resembling  that 
of  the  esquires  and  retainers  of  a  mediaeval  knight), 
having  now  no  liege  lord,  became  Eonins,  that  is, 
'  wave  men,'  a  kind  of  mendicant  soldiers  of  fortune, 
it  being  beneath  their  dignity  to  engage  in  manual 
labour.  Forty-seven  of  them  entered  into  a  secret 
league  to  avenge  their  lord's  death,  in  which  enter- 
prise, after  many  romantic  adventures,  they  finally 
succeeded  ;  and  having  seized  the  great  Daimio,  they 
offered  him  what  was  considered  an  honourable  end, 
by  permitting  him  to  perform  harakiri,  that  is,  to 
give  himself  the  happy  despatch  by  using  his  own 
short  sword.  On  his  refusal  they  slew  him,  and 
then,  proceeding  to  Yedo,  gave  themselves  up  to  the 
authorities,  who  sentenced  the  whole  of  them  to 
perform  harakiri,  which  accordingly  they  did,  and 
have  been  looked  upon  as  loyal  heroes  and  martyrs 
ever  since. 

Pilgrimages  are  made  to  their  tombs  in  this  temple, 
as  to  the  shrine  of  Thomas  a  Becket ;  incense  is  con- 
tinually burned  in  their  honour,  and  their  clothes 
and  relics,  carefully  preserved,  are  at  certain  intervals 
of  years  exhibited  to  the  admiring  crowds  who  flock 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  as  in  Europe  to  the 
Holy  Coat  of  Treves,  bringing  great  wealth  to  the 
temple  Sengekuji. 


70  RAMBLES   IN    JAPAN 

This  group  of  buildings  in  Shiba  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  in  the  whole  country,  surpassed  only  by 
those  of  Nikko  and  Kioto.  But  what  struck  me  most 
was  the  wonderfully  artistic  arrangement  of  the  trees. 
We  seemed  to  be  wandering  in  a  wild  wood  full  of 
exotic  trees,  and  at  every  turn  came  unexpectedly  on 
a  roof  nestled  beneath  them,  with  its  upturned  corners 
resplendent  in  the  sunlight. 

Few  things  can  give  the  stranger  a  better  idea  of 
the  art  and  manufactures  of  Japan  than  a  visit  to  the 
Shiba  Kwankoba,  or  bazaar,  with  its  winding  maze 
of  corridors,  on  either  side  of  which  all  the  goods  are 
exposed.  It  is  well  to  visit  this  place  with  a  well- 
lined  purse,  for  the  temptations  are  irresistible.  The 
young  ladies  in  attendance  stand  in  front  of,  not 
behind,  the  counters.  There  is  one  immense  advan- 
tage to  the  Western  stranger,  in  that,  contrary  to  the 
almost  universal  custom  of  the  country,  all  the  articles 
are  marked  in  plain  Japanese  figures,  and  there  is  no 
bargaining.  Hours  may  be  spent  in  the  contemplation 
of  things  new  and  old — antique  carving  in  ivory  ; 
costly  bits  of  ancient  pottery  ;  lacquer  of  every  kind, 
ancient  and  modern ;  bewildering  piles  of  delicate 
porcelain  ;  silks,  rich,  plain,  and  embroidered  ;  screens 
and  fans  ;  to  say  nothing  of  more  homely  domestic 
articles.  I  was  able  to  make  an  interesting  collection 
of  Japanese  tools  and  instruments,  and  many  charming 
models  illustrating  all  the  operations  of  agriculture 
and  carpentry,  culinary  work,  and  the  life  of  the 
home.  Dolls  and  toys  were  a  great  feature,  and 
in  the  latter  the  productions  of  Holland  pale  before 


YOKOHAMA   AND    TOKIO 

those  of  Tokio.  One  was  instantly  impelled  to  count 
up  the  numbers  of  nephews,  nieces,  and  grandchildren 
whose  birthdays  would  be  gladdened  by  a  remembrance 
from  the  other  side  of  the  world. 

The  following  morning,  April  29,  on  looking  out 
I  was  surprised  to  see  a  display  of  colour  in  a  novel 
form  in  every  direction  over  the  whole  city.  On  the 
roofs  and  corners  of  houses  all  around  were  huge 
paper  balloons  in  the  gaudiest  colours,  suspended 
from  bamboos  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  high.  The 
balloons,  or  hollow  paper  bags,  are  cut  in  the  shape 
of  a  fish,  sometimes  twelve  feet  long,  with  a  large 
open  mouth  formed  by  a  wire  ring,  into  which  the 
wind  blowing  inflates  the  fish,  which  waves  about 
after  the  manner  of  a  weathercock,  and  is  painted 
very  cleverly  in  brilliant  colours.  It  was  the  Japanese 
May  Day,  and  on  this  day  it  is  the  custom  that  a 
paper  fish  should  float  over  every  house  in  which  a 
boy  has  been  born  during  the  past  year,  and  it 
remains  hoisted  for  a  month,  giving  every  town  and 
village  the  appearance  of  being  en  fete.  The  girls, 
I  am  ashamed  to  say,  have  no  such  honour  paid  to 
them.  The  explanation  of  this  extraordinary  custom 
is  tha't  it  symbolises  that  as  the  fish  swims  up  stream, 
so  may  the  boy  successfully  face  all  the  struggles  of 
life.  Some  boys  are  honoured  by  a  row  of  a  dozen 
fishes  on  one  pole,  and  certainly,  to  judge  by  the 
thousands  of  these  fish-flags,  there  is  no  fear  of  a 
lack  of  men  in  the  coming  generation  to  defend  their 
country. 

I  had  been  asked  by  the  Tokio  Christian  Evidence 


72  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

Society  to  deliver   a   lecture  on   this    afternoon  on 
Historic  Corroborations  of  the  Pentateuch  from  recent 
Egyptian  discoveries.     The  society  is  formed  by  the 
missionaries    of   the   various    denominations,    chiefly 
American,   and  the    president  is  Archdeacon   Shaw, 
the  venerable  senior  missionary  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel.     The  lecture-room  was  a 
large  isolated  hall,  called  the  Tabernacle,  built  near 
the  University  by  American    Methodist  Episcopals, 
but  which  is  used  freely  for  Christian  work   by  all 
denominations.      Archdeacon  Shaw  was  in  the  chair, 
and    I  was  rather  taken  aback    by  the  size  of  the 
audience,  about  a  thousand,  of  whom  one-fourth  were 
undergraduates    of    the   University   with   their   soft 
square  caps.    Most  of  them  understand  some  English, 
and   all   are   eager   to   improve    themselves   in    our 
language.     I  also  here  met  for  the  first  time  Bishop 
Hare,  an  American   prelate,  who  was  for  the  time 
assisting  Bishop  Williams.     I  must  say  the  Japanese 
are  patient  listeners,  for  they  bore  with  me  for  an 
hour   and  twenty  minutes.     I    can    only   hope  that 
many  of  them  carried  away  a  clearer  idea  than  did 
the  reporters  of  the  Yokohama  papers,  which  honoured 
me  with  a  column.     However,  it  is  something  that  the 
Japanese  papers  should  give  unasked  so  much  space 
to  a  religious  subject.     In  the  evening  I  enjoyed  an 
extremely  pleasant  dinner-party  at  the  English  Bishop 
Bickersteth's,  where  I  met,  amongst  others,  Mr.  Kirk- 
wood,  the  legal  adviser  of  the  Japanese  Government 
on  international  law,  and  Professor  Ijima,  Professor 
of  Zoology  in  the  University  of  Tokio. 


YOKOHAMA   AND   TOKIO  73 

Wliile  staying  with  Mr.  Williams  in  Tsukiji  I  had 
my  first  and  only  experience  of  a  Japanese  earth- 
quake. Would  that  the  experience  of  others  had 
been  fraught  with  as  little  injury  as  my  own  !  As  I 
was  sitting  in  my  room  just  after  breakfast,  all  of  a 
sudden  the  floor  seemed  to  heave  a  sigh ;  the  prints, 
of  which  there  were  a  good  many,  clattered  two  or 
three  times  on  the  walls,  and  the  bells  in  the  house 
began  to  ring.  I  knew  at  once  what  was  the  matter, 
for  though  it  was  years  since  I  had  felt  an  earth- 
quake, the  sensation  is  one  the  memory  of  which 
time  can  never  efface.  My  mind  reverted  at  once  to 
the  earthquake  which  overthrew  Bona  and  Djileli  in 
Algeria,  and  of  which  I  had  experienced  the  full  force 
in  the  Sahara.  On  both  occasions  I  had  a  strange 
physical  sensation,  resembling,  I  suppose,  that  of  sea- 
sickness, of  which  happily  I  am  personally  ignorant. 
I  do  not  suppose  that  the  tremulous  motion  lasted 
more  than  three  seconds,  though  the  vibration  con- 
tinued a  little  longer.  No  further  harm  was  done  in 
Tokio,  though  people,  when  other  conversation  failed, 
mentioned  it  as  we  might  the  weather. 

A  Sunday  in  Tokio  gave  me  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  a  little  of  the  Christian  mission  work.  Cer- 
tainly the  metropolis  of  Japan  has  samples  before  it 
of  every  form  and  development  of  Christianity.  There 
are  representatives  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
the  first  English  society  of  any  denomination  to  enter 
Japan  ;  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel ;  Bishop  Bickersteth's  mission ;  the  Cowley 
Fathers  ;  the  American  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 


74  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

very  strongly  represented  ;  and  of  Americans,  Presby- 
terian, Cumberland  and  Southern  ;  Congregationalist ; 
Baptist ;  Methodist  Episcopal ;  Wesleyan  ;  Dutch 
Reformed  ;  Society  of  Friends  ;  American  Unitarian  ; 
Russo-Greek ;  and  Roman  of  different  orders.  At 
this  time  I  do  not  think  there  were  any  British 
Nonconformists. 

I  began  with  the  Japanese  morning  service  in  the 
Church  Missionary  Society's  church  at  Tsukiji.  The 
congregation  amounted  to  about  sixty  adults,  and  the 
sermon  was  preached  by  a  young  catechist  who  struck 
me  as  being  well  satisfied  with  himself.  This,  how- 
ever, can  hardly  be  called  a  mission  church,  as  the 
native  congregation  bear  the  whole  expense  and 
maintain  the  catechist.  I  afterwards  attended 
English  service  at  the  American  cathedral.  As  we 
entered  the  building  we  met  the  Japanese  congre- 
gation just  streaming  out.  I  was  introduced  to  the 
venerable  Bishop  Williams,  who  had  just  resigned 
his  see,  a  pleasing  old  man  with  humility  and  self- 
sacrifice  stamped  in  every  feature  and  action.  He 
certainly  was  no  lordly  prelate.  Prayers  were  read 
by  a  young  clergyman,  who  had  been  in  England 
with  the  Cowley  Fathers.  It  is  a  noble  church, 
cruciform,  with  aisles,  lofty  and  light,  and  thoroughly 
Protestant  in  all  its  arrangements,  perhaps  more  so 
than  in  its  personnel,  and  serves  all  the  English- 
speaking  people  in  the  concession. 

At  two  o'clock  I  went  to  the  Church  Missionary 
Society's  Japanese  Sunday  school,  where  the  children 
repeated  Hebrews  xi.,  which  of  course  formed  a 


YOKOHAMA   AND   TOKIO  75 

capital  text  for  Old  Testament  catechising.  At  three 
o'clock  began  another  Japanese  service,  at  which  I 
did  not  stay  long,  but  went  in  the  evening  for  a  long 
walk* with  Mr.  Williams  to  visit  some  of  his  preaching 
places  in  the  poorest  parts  of  this  vast  city.  He  has 
four  in  all,  some  of  them  miles  apart.  The  first  we 
visited  opens  on  a  narrow  street,  its  front  being 
simply  paper  shutters,  which,  when  pushed  back, 
open  the  whole  room  on  to  the  street.  It  is  used 
as  a  ragged  school  all  the  week,  and  as  a  Sunday 
school,  and  in  it  are  held  continued  preachings  on 
Sunday  and  weekday  evenings ;  exhortations,  short 
or  long  (for  the  Japanese  are  patient  listeners),  being 
given  by  one  native  after  another.  It  has  benches 
for  about  sixty  children.  The  farther  half  of  the 
room  is  a  raised  dais,  covered  with  fine  Japanese 
matting,  and  has  a  table  in  front.  The  few  women 
present  sat  on  the  matting.  Sunday  school  was  just 
over  when  we  arrived.  A  hymn  was  given  out  and 
started  in  front  of  the  room.  This  soon  drew  a  crowd, 
and  the  preaching  began.  The  people  looked  very 
attentive,  the  room  quickly  filled,  and  hardly  any 
went  away  as  long  as  we  were  there.  After  another 
hymn  a  second  preacher  stood  up,  very  fluent  and 
energetic,  his  language  to  me  all  unknown,  though, 
as  I  afterwards  found,  I  was  used  as  an  object-lesson, 
which  explained  some  broad  grins  turned  towards  me 
once  or  twice.  We  then  walked  on  for  a  mile  to 
another  similar  preaching  place,  where  we  found  a 
very  earnest  catechist  addressing  about  a  score  of 
men,  who  seemed  to  hang  on  his  words.  After  him 


76  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

came  forward  a  well-dressed  native  gentleman,  who 
spoke,  Bible  in  hand,  for  nearly  half  an  hour.  He  is 
a  well-to-do  business  man  and  an  earnest  Christian, 
who  regularly  preaches  on  Sunday.  After  an  nour's 
walk  we  got  home  at  past  ten  o'clock,  I  having 
listened  in  whole  or  part  to  six  Japanese  sermons 
in  one  day. 

I  afterwards  had  opportunities  of  seeing  the  work 
of  Bishop  Bickersteth's  mission  in  the  Shiba  district. 
Of  course  his  staff  is  much  larger  and  more  concen- 
trated than  that  of  any  other  mission  in  Tokio,  except 
perhaps  the  American  Episcopal.  He  had  living  with 
him  in  his  house,  known  as  St.  Andrew's,  five  young 
university  clergymen,  who  devote  their  energies  to 
educational  and  evangelistic  work,  the  most  impor- 
tant part  of  which  is  a  Divinity  School,  where  young 
natives  are  trained  for  the  ministry.  There  are  large 
classes  held  in  the  evening,  which  attract  many  besides 
the  divinity  students,  and  so  outsiders  and  non- 
Christians  are  won.  The  missionaries  certainly  work 
very  hard  and  zealously,  and  the  result  is  seen  in 
their  converts.  Close  to  the  house  is  a  pretty  little 
church,  in  which  there  are  many  services  throughout 
the  day,  of  what  appeared  to  an  old-fashioned  English 
Churchman  an  extreme  type.  I  enjoyed  many  of  the 
short  services,  though  I  could  not  but  regret  that 
such  Romish  names  as  Sext  and  Compline  were  given 
to  the  two  English  daily  services,  in  which  the  prayers 
and  all  else  were  good  and  scriptural. 

A  few  hundred  yards  from  St.  Andrew's  and  its 
little  group  of  buildings  is  St.  Hilda's,  picturesquely 


YOKOHAMA    AND    TOKIO  77 

situated  on  the  side  of  a  beautifully  wooded  little 
ravine,  the  home  of  an  English  sisterhood  which  has 
been  established  there  by  Bishop  Bickersteth,  and 
where  much  work  is  going  on.  Especially  are  there 
many  classes  for  girls,  all  of  good  social  position. 
Though  by  far  the  greater  number  of  them  are  non- 
Christians,  yet  all  have  religious  teaching,  and  under 
it  some  have  become  Christians.  Attached  to  the 
school,  but  separated  by  a  part  of  the  garden,  was  a 
hospital  for  the  poor,  of  twenty  beds,  beautifully 
ordered,  and  no  lack  of  space  and  air,  and  under  the 
management  of  a  very  clever  and  capable  nurse.  This 
hospital,  I  am  sorry  to  learn,  has  lately  been  aban- 
doned, owing  to  a  difficulty  about  the  lease.  But 
we  must  remember  that  in  Japan,  with  its  medical 
schools  and  educated  surgeons,  there  is  not  the 
demand  for  Medical  Missions  that  exists  in  other 
Oriental  countries. 

During  our  stay  at  Tokio  we  had  occasion  to 
revisit  Yokohama  on  business,  and  were  fortunate 
enough  to  see  in  harbour  there  a  finer  fleet  of  men- 
of-war  than  can  often  be  seen  out  of  the  Medi- 
terranean. Not  only  was  the  Japanese  fleet  mustered 
there,  several  of  them  first-class  warships,  looking  as 
trim  and  smart  as  any  English  man-of-war,  but  there 
were  also  riding  at  anchor  a  German  frigate,  a  French 
frigate,  a  United  States  gunboat,  and  three  English 
corvettes,  with  a  Russian  close  behind  them.  It  is 
remarked  that  an  English  man-of-war  is  never  seen 
in  these  seas  without  a  Eussian  in  her  train.  Of 
all  the  five  nationalities  whose  flag  was  shown,  the 


78  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

Japanese  were  by  no  means  the  least  smart  in 
appearance,  though  they  certainly  failed  in  rowing 
with  the  neatness  that  marked  our  gigs.  The  Eussian 
looked  very  shabby,  and  certainly  seemed  wanting  in 
smartness  and  cleanliness.  Besides  these,  there  were 
many  mail  liners  and  several  magnificent  American 
clippers,  the  first  I  had  seen  in  these  seas.  It  was 
difficult  to  realise,  as  we  looked  at  this  fleet  of  many 
nations,  that  we  were  in  a  roadstead  unknown  to 
name  or  fame  five-and-twenty  years  ago. 

After  enjoying  our  row  amongst  the  shipping, 
we  found  not  a  less  strange  contrast  with  the  past 
on  shore  It  was  a  gala  day  at  Yokohama,  and  flags 
were  flying  in  all  directions,  for  the  annual  races 
were  being  held  on  the  Bluff,  and  the  Mikado  had 
come  down  expressly  to  see  this  English  sport.  Oh, 
the  descent  in  one  generation,  from  the  offspring  of 
the  gods  enshrined  in  mystery  amidst  the  enchanted 
gardens  of  Kioto,  to  the  spruce  gentleman  in  European 
costume,  driving  in  his  barouche  to  witness  an  English 
horse  race  1 


CHAPTEK    III 

A     VISIT     TO     NIKKO 

OUR  first  expedition  into  the  interior  from  Tokio  was 
to  Nikko,  nearly  a  hundred  miles  north  of  the  capital. 
Nikko,  which  may  be  compared  to  the  Oxford  and 
Canterbury  of  the  country  combined,  is,  according  to 
the  firm  belief  of  every  Japanese,  the  most  beautiful 
place  in  the  world.  They  have  a  familiar  proverb, 
'No  one  can  say  Kekko,  i.e.  splendid,  till  you  have 
been  to  Nikko,'  and  I  am  almost  inclined  to  agree 
with  them.  Even  before  the  introduction  of  railways, 
and  when  the  journey  could  only  be  performed  by 
the  tedious  and  fatiguing  jinriksha  conveyance,  no 
traveller  who  had  the  time  at  his  command  neglected 
to  visit  Nikko.  Now  it  is  as  easy  as  any  journey  in 
England.  We  proceed  by  the  great  arterial  railway 
of  Japan  as  far  as  Utsu-no-Miya,  whence  a  branch 
line,  thirty  miles  in  length,  deposits  us  within  two 
miles  of  the  little  town.  In  this  journey  for  the  first, 
but  not  for  the  last,  time  we  felt  the  luxury  of  our 
extensive  passport,  by  which  we  avoided  the  irritat- 
ing necessity  of  making  repeated  applications  to 
the  central  authorities  at  Tokio,  stating  beforehand 
the  exact  route  proposed  to  be  taken,  the  object  of  the 
journey,  and  the  precise  time  to  be  occupied.  The 
respect  this  passport  commanded  from  the  ubiquitous 

o 


82  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

little  policeman  was  apt  to  engender  a  triumphant 
feeling  of  superiority  over  ordinary  mortals. 

Our  second-class  carriage  was  clean  and  airy,  the 
compartments  opening  into  one  another,  and  pas- 
sengers often  changing  their  seats.  Our  fellow- 
travellers  appeared  to  be  all  thorough  gentlefolk, 
several  of  them  speaking  English,  and  eager  to  air 
their  knowledge.  We  could  not  but  be  amused  at 
the  solitary  instance  of  superior  exclusiveness  which 
was  exhibited  by  a  very  smart  cavalry  officer,  no 
doubt  a  Japanese  representative  of  '  the  Tenth '  of 
former  days.  More  than  one  passenger,  who  evi- 
dently recognised  that  my  daughter  was  engaged  in 
missionary  work,  asked  questions  on  the  subject  ; 
and  one  especially  seemed  greatly  interested,  ex- 
changed cards  with  her,  and  promised  us  a  visit  at 
the  Nikko  hotel  where  we  intended  to  stay.  The 
pace  of  the  train  happily  was  not  that  of  an  English 
express,  so  that  we  were  enabled  to  enjoy  the  ever- 
varying  landscape.  Sometimes  we  passed  through 
rice  flats,  more  often  along  gentle  slopes  dotted  with 
picturesque  villages  ;  amongst  them  a  long  straggling 
village  entirely  occupied  by  florists,  who  supply  the 
Tokio  market ;  whose  gardens  and  nurseries,  bright 
and  pretty,  set  off  the  landscape  with  their  rich 
borders  of  varying  colours.  We  generally  had  in 
sight  the  old  great  northern  road,  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  empire,  lined  with  pines,  cryptomerias,  and 
'other  trees. 

From  Utsu-no-Miya.  where  we  changed  trains,  the 
line  was  generally  a  steep  ascent.  In  the  last  fifteen 


A   VISIT    TO    NIKKO  83 

miles  we  rose  1,750  feet,  and  had  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  mountain  mass  at  the  roots  of  which 
nestles  Nikko.  The  train  crept  up  parallel  with  a 
magnificent  avenue  of  gigantic  cryptomerias,  which 
for  twenty-five  miles  shade  the  ancient  road  by 
which  the  Shoguns  annually  visited  the  temples 
of  Nikko.  These  trees  and  those  of  the  various 
minor  avenues  about  the  temples  are  amongst  the 
finest  specimens  of  forestry  in  the  world,  averaging 
a  hundred  feet  in  height,  many  of  them  more,  and 
some  five  or  six  feet  in  diameter  at  six  feet  from 
the  ground.  Although  of  such  great  size,  they  are, 
as  our  illustration  shows,  planted  very  close  together, 
and  form  to  the  eye  a  mighty  wall  of  dark  green, 
through  which  not  a  ray  of  light  penetrates,  ex- 
cepting where  here  and  there  some  storm  has  over- 
thrown one  of  these  forest  giants.  We  passed 
through  many  smaller  woods  of  deciduous  trees, 
brightened  by  the  conspicuous  bloom  of  two  species 
of  red  azaleas  and  of  three  kinds  of  Pyrus  japonica, 
one  of  which,  which  bears  the  largest  flower,  runs 
along  the  ground  after  the  manner  of  the  whortle- 
berry. I  was  struck  here,  as  I  repeatedly  was 
afterwards,  by  the  wonderful  variety  of  low  flowering 
shrubs  in  the  flora  of  Japan,  and  the  comparative 
paucity  of  herbaceous  flowers  or  annuals.  A  few 
miles  before  reaching  Nikko,  a  second  of  these 
colossal  avenues  converges  towards  the  railway, 
shading  an  ancient  sacred  road,  by  which  the  envoy 
of  the  Mikado  used  to  carry  his  offerings  to  the 
shrines  of  the  deceased  heroes. 

G  2 


84  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

From  the  terminus  of  the  railway  we  had  a 
jinriksha  ride  of  more  than  two  miles  through  the 
village  to  our  native  hotel,  Nikko  being  a  long  hilly 
street,  lined  on  both  sides  with  irregularly  straggling 
houses.  Let  it  not  be  supposed,  however,  that 
Nikko  lacks  a  large  hotel,  built  in  foreign  style  and 
with  all  the  usual  accompaniments.  We,  however, 
wisely  determined  to  go  to  a  native  hotel,  and  sub- 
sequent experience  confirmed  the  correctness  of  our 
choice.  After  passing  through  the  village  we  reached 
a  rocky  ravine  spanned  by  two  bridges  side  by  side  : 
a  mountain  torrent,  now  milky  from  the  melted 
snow,  dashed  amongst  the  boulders  at  the  bottom, 
and  the  sides  were  garnished  with  shrubs  of  many 
kinds,  springing  from  every  fissure  in  the  cliffs.  We 
crossed  by  the  lower  bridge.  The  other,  a  few  yards 
above,  is  an  ingenious  wooden  structure  painted 
bright  red,  and  forms  a  graceful  elliptic  curve.  It 
is  supported  by  massive  stone  piers  fixed  into  the 
cliffs  below,  and  its  bright  colour  forms  a  striking 
contrast  to  the  deep  green  of  the  tall  cryptomerias 
which  overhang  it  on  either  side.  It  is  near  a 
hundred  feet  long,  and  was  built  more  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  and  we  were  told  that 
such  are  the  preservative  qualities  of  the  paint,  or 
rather  red  lacquer,  with  which  it  is  covered,  that  it 
has  never  required  repair  since  its  erection.  A  tall 
gate  encloses  it  at  either  end,  and  it  is  only  opened 
twice  in  the  year  for  the  passage  of  pilgrims  visiting 
the  shrine.  It  was  formerly  closed  to  all  excepting 
the  Shogun  when  he  came  to  worship. 


A   VISIT   TO    NIKKO 


85 


Its  sanctity  arises  from  its  standing  on  the  spot 
where  Shodo  Shonin,  a  mythical  Japanese  saint,  is 
said  to  have  crossed  the  river  in  the  year  A.D.  762. 
His  story  is  full  of  strange,  weird  legends,  of  which 


BRIDGES  NEAR   NIKKO. 
(The  more  distant  is  only  opened  twice  in  the  year,  for  the  passage  of  pilgrims.) 

the  one  connected  with  this  bridge  is  a  sample. 
Shodo  is  said  to  have  been  directed  in  a  dream  to 
ascend  a  certain  mountain,  but  when  he  arrived  at 
this  spot  he  found  his  progress  arrested  by  this 


OF   THH 

TTTJTT7T 


86  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

impassable  gorge.  Falling  on  his  knees  and  praying 
for  help,  a  divine  being  of  gigantic  size  flung  across 
the  river  two  green  and  blue  snakes,  which  formed 
in  an  instant  a  bridge  of  rainbow  shape  spanning 
the  ravine.  The  moment  the  saint  had  crossed,  the 
god  and  the  snake-bridge  vanished.  Shodo  then 
settled  at  this  spot  and  erected  a  hut,  which  was  the 
forerunner  of  the  group  of  magnificent  temples  which 
are  now  the  glory  of  Japan.  Shodo  Shonin  died  in 
817,  and  he  seems  to  have  been  a  Shinto  devotee, 
who,  meeting  some  Chinese  missionaries,  embraced 
the  Buddhist  faith,  or  rather  incorporated  it  with 
his  hereditary  religion. 

Crossing  the  bridge,  we  turn  sharp  round  to  the 
left,  up  a  gentle  ascent  flanked  on  either  side  by 
little  villas  ensconced  in  their  gardens,  till  at  length 
a  little  board  projecting  neatly  from  a  garden  hedge 
proclaims  in  Chinese  and  English  characters  our 
hotel,  first  patronised  by  Mrs.  Bishop,  the  well- 
known  pioneer  lady.  A  tiny  stream  meanders 
through  the  tiny  garden,  with  stepping-stones, 
islands,  bridges,  and  quaintly  dwarfed  trees  and 
shrubs,  the  trees  the  exact  models  of  the  willow 
pattern  and  other  porcelain  devices.  On  a  broad 
stepping-stone  in  front  of  the  verandah  ledge  of  the 
cardboard  house  are  two  pairs  of  slippers  for  our 
use,  and  we  step  into  the  exquisitely  clean,  fine 
matting,  soft  as  velvet,  which  carpets  the  rooms, 
while  the  boards  of  the  verandah  are  polished  as  a 
dining-table.  There  are  three  parlours  in  a  row,  all 
open,  for  the  sliding  paper  walls  are  pushed  back 


A   VISIT    TO    NIKKO  87 

into  a  recess  or  taken  out  in  the  daytime.  One  of 
these  is  our  sitting-room.  But  as  to  the  furniture, 
even  into  this  exquisite  gem  of  a  Japanese  house 
foreign  ideas  have  penetrated.  In  consideration  of 
the  weakness  of  Western  travellers,  there  is  a  little 
table  and  two  cane  chairs  in  each  room,  for  all  are 
furnished  precisely  alike.  There  is  also  a  tiny  side- 
table,  and  on  each  table  is  a  vase  of  lovely  flowers, 
and  the  sides  of  each  room  are  occupied  by  cupboards 
with  sliding  paper  doors.  Behind  these  rooms  is 
a  similar  arrangement  of  open  verandah,  looking 
out  on  another  garden  of  dwarf  trees,  islands,  and 
bridges,  but  bounded  by  a  steep  cliff  overhung,  as 
is  all  the  mountain-side,  with  forest  trees,  and  down 
the  cliffs  are  arranged  a  series  of  baby  cascades, 
which  feed  the  tiny  lakes  and  then  pass  under  the 
house  in  a  porcelain  channel  into  the  front  garden. 
The  paper  sides  of  the  rooms  are  hung  with  many 
kakemono,  depicting  very  cleverly  groups  of  birds 
or  scenery.  Lacquered  and  varnished  stairs  lead  from 
back  and  front  verandahs  to  our  bedrooms,  having 
paper  partitions  which  are  thrown  back  until  the 
evening.  The  dwelling  apartments  of  our  host  and 
his  family  are  a  continuation  of  our  own,  and  are 
reached  by  the  same  verandah,  the  kitchen,  which 
we  often  visited,  separating  them.  In  these  private 
rooms  we  found  the  same  exquisite  matting  with 
which  the  guest-room  floors  were  covered,  but  no 
tables  and  chairs. 

Our   host,  to  whom  we  had  already  written  for 
apartments,  received  us  with  all  the  ceremony  and 


88  RAMBLES   IN    JAPAN 

grace  of  a  Japanese  gentleman,  showed  us  our  rooms 
upstairs  and  down,  though,  as  we  were  for  the 
present  the  only  guests,  we  enjoyed  the  run  of  the 
whole  house.  Mr.  Kanaya  was  a  typical  host, 
making  us  feel  at  once  that  we  were  looked  upon 
not  as  lodgers  by  payment,  but  as  guests  of  the 
family.  Like  a  Boniface  of  the  olden  time,  he 
accompanied  us  into  our  parlour,  sat  gracefully  on 
the  floor,  and  entered  into  conversation,  recounted 
his  recollections  of  Mrs.  Bishop,  suggested  the  ex- 
cursions which  ought  not  to  be  omitted,  and  the 
number  of  hours  or  days  that  each  would  occupy, 
and  actually  inquired  whether  the  bent  of  our  tastes 
were  antiquarian,  or  botanical,  or  for  scenery  or 
sport.  With  his  hotel  he  combined  a  small  farm, 
and  was  also  a  lay  clerk  in  the  great  Buddhist  temple 
hard  by.  He  volunteered  a  full  account  of  himself 
and  his  family ;  but,  knowing  our  religious  opinions, 
he  took  care  to  inform  us  that,  though  he  held  office 
in  the  temple,  for  which  he  was  remunerated,  he 
did  not  believe  much  in  Buddhism.  In  fact,  he  was, 
like  many  of  his  countrymen,  more  agreeable  than 
reliable. 

After  chatting  some  time  he  reminded  us  that 
we  were  to  be  supplied  with  foreign  dinner,  and,  of 
course,  professed  readiness  to  give  any  delicacy  from 
any  part  of  the  world.  Finally  it  was  decided  that 
we  should  have  fish  soup,  a  standing  Japanese  dish 
pigeons  and  pheasant,  with  Japanese  sponge-cake 
and  tea.  This  sponge-cake  is  a  curious  relic  of  the 
ancient  Spanish  connection.  It  is  known  by  the 


A   VISIT   TO    NIKKO  89 

Japanese  as  Castera,  i.e.  Castille  (the  Japanese 
always  substituting  '  r '  for  '  1,'  which  is  wanting  in 
their  language,  and  which  they  find  great  difficulty 
in  pronouncing),  the  art  of  making  which  they  learnt 
from  the  Spanish  missionaries  three  hundred  years 
ago.  On  my  demurring  to  the  pheasant  and  asking 
if  it  were  not  the  close  season,  our  host  clapped  his 
hands,  and  thus  summoned  the  pretty  little  maiden, 
who  soon  reappeared  with  a  beautiful  green  cock- 
pheasant,  which  had  evidently  been  snared  and 
illegally  poached  in  anticipation  of  our  visit.  This 
bird,  known  as  Phasianus  versicolor,  is  in  form  and 
size  exactly  like  our  own,  but  its  plumage  a  brilliant 
glossy  green.  It  is  very  common  in  all  parts  of  the 
country  which  we  visited ;  as  is  another  species 
with  a  very  much  longer  and  broader  tail,  of  a 
rich  copper  colour,  powdered  with  white  spangles, 
known  as  the  copper  pheasant,  Phasianus  scintillans. 

There  was  considerable  alarm  a  few  years  ago  lest 
these  pheasants  should  have  been  exterminated  by 
the  demand  for  them  in  Paris,  and  I  am  afraid  in 
England  too,  for  the  decoration  of  ladies'  hats.  One 
merchant  at  Yokohama  told  me  that  he  had  in  one 
year  exported  thirty  thousand  copper-pheasant  skins. 
Fortunately,  the  plumage  of  the  hens  being  very 
modest,  they  were  not  in  demand,  and  in  three  or 
four  years  the  fashion  happily  passed  away,  though 
not  before  the  government  were  proposing  to  inter- 
fere to  arrest  the  destruction  of  the  greatest  ornament 
of  the  Japanese  woods. 

Having  thus  installed  ourselves,  we  set  out  to  take 


90  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

a  cursory  survey  of  the  neighbourhood.  Retracing 
our  steps  towards  the  sacred  bridge,  we  passed  the 
foreign  hotel,  a  large  unsightly  building  in  European 
style,  when  we  were  surprised  at  being  hailed  in 
English  by  old  friends  from  Shanghai,  whom  we 
never  expected  to  meet  here,  and  whom  we  were 
delighted  to  have  as  companions  in  our  subsequent 
excursions.  Returning  to  our  home  at  sunset,  we 
found  our  paper  walls  all  closed  in  for  the  night,  and 
also,  what  I  had  not  perceived  before,  that  there  are 
double  walls,  the  outer  one  of  wood,  all  round  the 
verandah,  and  which  during  the  daytime  are  put 
away  in  cupboards,  but  which  now  gave  the  house 
the  appearance  of  a  huge  wooden  box.  They  are 
certainly  useful,  not  only  for  warmth,  but  for  privacy, 
as  the  little  boys  are  very  fond  of  watching  the 
proceedings,  especially  of  foreigners,  by  wetting  the 
paper  walls  with  their  tongues  and  with  their  fingers 
making  peep-holes.  However,  the  weight  of  the 
whole  of  these  walls,  whether  wooden  or  paper, 
should  be  reckoned  in  ounces  rather  than  pounds.  I 
could  almost  fancy  there  was  a  danger,  if  anything 
caught  the  button  of  my  coat,  of  walking  away  with 
the  walls  of  the  house. 

The  inspection  of  the  group  of  the  temples  and 
Mausoleum  of  lyeyasu  is  a  full  day's  work.  This 
latter  is  perhaps  the  finest,  and  certainly  the  most 
interesting  historically,  of  the  vast  group  of  sacred 
buildings  that  dot  the  lower  slopes  of  the  mountain 
Nikko  San.  From  the  great  repute  for  sanctity  of 
Nikko,  it  was  chosen  as  the  burial-place  of  lyeyasu,  in 


A   VISIT   TO    NIKKO  91 

the  year  1617.  This  lyeyasu  was  one  of  the  greatest 
rulers  and  generals  Japan  has  seen,  and  the  founder 
of  the  Shogun  dynasty  of  Tokugawa,  which  continued 
in  unbroken  succession  the  practical  rulers  of  the 
country  until  the  revolution  of  1868,  when  the  old 
feudal  system  of  the  rule  of  the  Daimios  under  the 
Shogun  or  Mayor  of  the  Palace  was  entirely  abolished, 
and  the  Mikado,  who  had  been  for  many  centuries  a 
mere  faineant  monarch,  like  the  later  Merovingians  of 
France,  emerged  from  his  sacred  obscurity  and  became 
the  actual  monarch  of  the  country ;  and  in  a  few 
years  established  a  constitutional  government. 

As  Shogun,  lyeyasu  was  a  simple  usurper.  Born 
in  1542,  he  had  been  a  military  officer  under  the 
Shogun  Hideyoshi,  for  some  time  the  patron  and  pro- 
tector of  the  Christians.  On  the  death  of  Hideyoshi, 
lyeyasu  rebelled  against  his  youthful  son,  and,  after  a 
struggle  lasting  several  years,  was  finally  recognised 
as  ruler.  He  immediately  devoted  himself  to 
breaking  up  the  power  of  the  Daimios,  compelling 
them,  as  feudal  inferiors,  to  do  homage  to  himself, 
whilst  he  surrounded  the  court  of  the  Mikado  with 
his  own  troops,  and  in  fact  confined  him  in  a  gilded 
prison.  However  unscrupulous  may  have  been  his 
methods,  Japan  owes  to  him  the  enjoyment  of  a 
really  centralised  government.  He  kept  in  his  own 
hands  many  forts  throughout  the  country  which  had 
hitherto  been  held  by  the  Daimios  ;  he  made  great 
arterial  roads  through  the  whole  country  ;  established 
a  postal  system ;  and  enacted  laws,  which  were  to 
supersede  the  capricious  and  arbitrary  internal  rule 


92  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

of  the  Daimios  on  their  estates.  He  was,  for  his 
age,  a  really  scientific  man,  and  a  great  patron  of 
literature.  In  fact,  his  rule  has  been  called  the 
Renaissance  epoch  of  Japan.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  was  the  first  to  commence  the  bloody 
persecution  of  the  Christians,  which  ended  a  few  years 
after  his  death  in  the  extermination  of  Christianity. 

Under  his  direction  the  Daimios  were  required  to 
compel  all  Christians  to  renounce  their  faith.  This 
they  resisted  even  to  blood.  At  length  they  were 
forced  to  take  up  arms,  and  raised  the  standard  of 
rebellion  for  the  first  time  in  Japanese  history,  for 
hitherto  their  wars  had  been  rather  faction  fights 
than  rebellions.  The  struggle  continued  for  several 
years,  from  1606  to  1615.  For  some  time  the 
Christians  maintained  their  independence,  until  in 
1611  lyeyasu  is  said  to  have  discovered  a  plot 
manipulated  by  the  Spanish  friars  for  reducing  the 
country  to  a  condition  of  subjection  to  Spain  under 
a  Christian  viceroy.  From  that  time  all  foreigners 
were  expelled  and  the  native  Christians  ruthlessly 
massacred.  The  capture  of  Osaka  in  1615  was  fatal 
to  all  hopes  of  success  by  the  Christian  party.  The 
slaughter  continued  for  several  days,  and  the  Jesuit 
historians  assert  that  100,000  men  perished  in  this 
war.  The  struggle,  however,  continued  for  more  than 
twenty  years  after  lyeyasu's  death,  and  did  not  end 
until  1637,  when  the  castle  of  Shimabara  was  taken, 
and  37,000  Christians  massacred,  and  thousands  of 
others  hurled  down  the  rocks  previously  mentioned 
in  the  harbour  of  Nagaski. 


A   VISIT   TO    NIKKO  93 

But  enough  of  this  digression,  for  we  have  long 
since  arrived  at  lyeyasu's  mausoleum.  It  is,  like  all 
the  others,  a  large  enclosure  surrounded  by,  and  filled 
with,  cryptomerias  and  other  large  trees,  with  stately 
avenues  mounting  up  the  steep  hills  on  which  they 
are  placed.  The  temple  is  in  no  case  a  single  build- 
ing, but  a  group  of  some  twenty  temples,  and  this 
one  has  a  gorgeous  red  pagoda  in  the  wood  outside, 
towering  among  the  trees  with  admirable  effect.  On 
the  outskirts  are  some  fine  houses  and  gardens 
fringing  the  avenue,  into  one  of  which  we  turned, 
having  requested  at  the  porter's  lodge  '  that  we 
might  be  allowed  humbly  to  raise  our  eyes  to  the 
landscape/  After  noticing  this  interesting  specimen 
of  native  horticulture,  we  turned  back  to  the  avenue, 
on  the  way  up  which  are  a  series  of  lych-gate  roofs 
with  boards  under  them  containing  the  names  of 
contributors  to  the  preservation  fund  of  the  temples, 
among  them  a  board  in  English,  explaining  the 
appeal.  Another  in  Japanese  contained  a  record  of 
the  donations  of  English  and  American  visitors. 

Within  the  enclosure  were  all  the  characteristic 
features  which  we  had  noticed  in  the  temples  of 
Shiba,  but  on  a  much  larger  scale — colossal  bronze 
lamps,  bells,  one  of  them  rivalling  the  Russian 
castings ;  great  monolith  pillars,  etc.,  the  gifts  of 
Coreaii,  Loochoo,  and  other  foreign  monarchs.  This 
was  not  the  only  place  in  which  we  found  historic 
evidence  of  the  claims  of  Japan  to  some  kind  of 
recognition  by  Corea. 

Not  the  least  interesting  of  the  various  structures 


94  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

were  three  long  halls  adjoining  each  other,  in  which 
are  exhibited  the  possessions,  clothing,  armour, 
furniture,  and  other  articles  used  by  lyeyasu  in  his 
lifetime.  These  are  silent  witnesses  of  the  intelli- 
gence and  culture  of  the  Japan  of  three  hundred 
years  ago,  and  show  how  much  was  due  to  the 
Spanish  fathers.  Among  them  I  was  much  struck 
by  an  orrery,  evidently  of  European  make,  and 
various  astronomical  instruments,  and  others,  which 
well  illustrate  the  practice  of  the  art  of  navigation 
before  the  invention  of  the  quadrant.  Our  guide, 
however,  considered  his  swords,  said  to  be  of  wonder- 
fully tempered  steel,  as  far  more  worth  our  study. 

Arranged  along  the  gallery  over  the  cabinets  in 
which  these  collections  were  kept,  was  a  series  of 
paintings  illustrating  falconry  as  carried  on  in  lye- 
yasu's  time,  for  he  was  evidently  a  sportsman  as  well 
as  a  warrior  and  philosopher.  We  had  in  fact  an 
illustrated  history  of  the  practice  of  the  gentle  art. 
The  similarity  of  the  hoods,  jesses,  and  other  falconer's 
gear,  with  those  in  use  in  Europe,  was  very  remark- 
able, as  we  can  hardly  conceive  that  falconry  in  Japan 
was  derived  from  a  European  source.  At  the  same 
time  I  think  we  have  presumptive  evidence  that 
European  and  Japanese  hawking  have  been  derived 
from  a  common  original. 

Perhaps  I  may  be  allowed  to  say  a  few  more  words 
on  this  subject,  as  falconry  is,  so  far  as  I  know,  the 
only  instance  in  historic  times  in  which  a  European 
art  is  identical  in  all  its  methods  with  that  of  the 
Land  of  the  Rising  Sun.  Investigation  will  probably 


JAPANESE  FALCONER. 


A   VISIT    TO   NIKKO  97 

show  that  Assyria  was  the  cradle  of  an  art  that  spread 
thence  through  the  whole  world,  east  and  west.  The 
earliest  monumental  record  of  falconry  is  a  sculpture 
discovered  by  Sir  Henry  Layard  at  Khorsabad,  re- 
presenting a  falconer  with  a  hawk  on  his  wrist.  This 
is  standing  evidence  that  hawking  was  practised  there 
at  least  as  early  as  1700  B.C.  But  Japanese  records 
carry  us  back  further  still,  for  if  they  may  be  relied 
on,  falconry  was  practised  in  China  centuries  pre- 
viously. A  Japanese  historian,  of  whose  work  a 
French  translation  has  been  published,  relates  that 
falcons  were  amongst  the  Chinese  presents  made  to 
princes  in  the  time  of  the  Hia  Dynasty,  supposed  to 
have  commenced  2205  B.C.  We  know  from  classical 
authors  that  falconry  was  practised  in  Central  Asia, 
Persia,  and  India  about  400  B.C. 

There  is  no  inconsiderable  literature  devoted  to  the 
art  in  the  Japanese  language.  No  fewer  than  fourteen 
treatises  on  the  subject  are  enumerated  by  Harting 
in  his  Bibliotheca  Accipitraria,  many  of  them  long 
anterior  to  the  visits  of  the  Spaniards.  Amongst  the 
minutise  of  the  art,  we  may  mention  that,  whilst 
European  falconers  repair  broken  feathers  by  what  is 
called  an  imping  needle,  the  Japanese  repair  a  broken 
tail-feather  by  splicing  on  a  new  one  with  lacquer 
varnish.  The  Japanese  writers  on  falconry  mention 
the  goshawk,  the  peregrine,  the  sparrow-hawk,  the 
osprey,  which  they  call  the  pike-catching  hawk,  the 
gier-falcori,  which  they  obtain  from  Kamschatka,  and, 
last  and  least,  the  grey  shrike,  which  they  have 
succeeded  in  training  to  catch  small  birds. 

H 


98  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

Hawking,  however,  since  the  revolution  has 
become  very  much  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  is  almost 
extinct  with  the  old  feudal  system,  inasmuch  as  the  new 
laws  of  trespass,  which  are  very  strict,  preclude  any, 
excepting  the  few  who  still  possess  great  estates,  from 
indulging  in  this  pastime.  Another  reason  of  its 
decadence  is  probably  the  great  increase  in  cultivation. 
From  the  series  of  pictures  at  Nikko  we  may  infer 
that  the  goshawk  was  the  favourite  bird  of  lyeyasu, 
for  only  one  of  them  exhibited  the  prowess  of  the 
peregrine.  Mr.  Harting  (to  whose  kindness  I  am 
indebted  for  permission  to  copy  the  illustration) 
infers,  from  the  identity  in  almost  every  point  of  the 
practice  of  the  falconers  of  the  East  and  West,  that 
the  falconry  of  the  whole  world  originated  in  India, 
and  was  introduced  long  before  the  historic  period, 
by  the  Indo-Germanic  race,  from  the  plains  of 
Hindustan. 

But  leaving  the  memorials  and  picture  gallery  of 
lyeyasu,  we  observed  at  the  entrance  two  curiously 
carved  figures  of  elephants,  the  knowledge  of  which 
was  probably  brought  with  Buddhism.  Close  by  is  a 
magnificent  sacred  pine-tree,  said  to  have  been  carried 
about  by  lyeyasu  in  his  palanquin,  when  it  was  still 
small  enough  to  be  in  a  flower-pot.  Alongside  of 
this  is  the  stable  of  Buddha,  open  in  front,  with  an 
unfortunate  piebald  sacred  horse  ready  for  him  to 
ride  when  he  returns  to  earth.  The  poor  animal 
stands,  tied  up  and  caparisoned,  with  long  rows  of 
saucers  full  of  beans  just  out  of  his  reach,  for  each  of 
which  the  devout  pay  five  rin  (i.e.  one  farthing)  to 


A   VISIT   TO    NIKKO  99 

give  the  tantalised  steed.  Its  groom  told  us,  however, 
that  sometimes  it  is  taken  out  for  exercise.  It 
reminds  one  of  the  sacred  bull  of  the  Egyptians.  In 
another  temple  the  nuns  perform  sacred  dances, 
solemn  and  majestic,  and  are  glad  to  receive  a  few 
sen  (halfpennies). 

One  could  spend  hours  in  admiring  the  bold  designs 
of  animals  and  the  grotesque  carvings  which  enrich 
all  the  temples,  both  within  and  without,  in  bewilder- 
ing confusion,  in  which  dragons,  unicorns,  griffons 
and  phoenixes  of  strange  devices,  enough  to  perplex 
the  most  skilled  heraldic  student,  are  mingled  with 
lifelike  representations  of  lions,  cattle,  monkeys,  foxes, 
and  other  creatures  of  every-day  life.  In  another 
building  equally  lavish  in  its  ornamentation  is  the 
great  library  of  Buddhist  theological  works.  A  flight 
of  steps  leads  to  the  next  group  of  temples.  One  of 
the  peculiarities  of  Nikko  is  that  all  these  groups  of 
buildings  are  on  terraces  as  it  were,  raised  one  above 
another,  and  connected  by  wide  flights  of  steps  with 
massive  stone  balustrades.  On  the  next  platform  is 
a  collection  of  royal  gifts ;  and  amongst  the  colossal 
lamps,  bells,  and  stone  lions  is  a  great  brass  candela- 
brum of  Dutch  manufacture,  which  was  pointed  out 
as  the  feudal  tribute  paid  by  the  King  of  Holland, 
who,  they  tell  you,  was  one  of  the  vassals  of  the 
Mikado.  But  it  would  be  monotonous  to  describe 
the  various  temples  and  courtyards,  or  rather  cloister 
garths  and  cathedral  closes,  which  would  repay  the 
artistic  connoisseur  many  days  spent  in  careful 
examination. 


UNIVERSITY 


100  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

We  do  not  reach  the  tomb  of  lyeyasu  till  we  are  at 
the  summit  of  the  small  hill.  It  is  of  massive  bronze, 
shaped  like  a  small  pagoda.  Visitors  are  not  allowed 
to  enter  within  the  small  enclosure,  although  the 
whole  of  it  can  be  seen.  Vases  of  flowers  and  lighted 
tapers  are  continually  renewed  in  front  of  it. 

The  grouping  and  arrangement  of  these  temples 
suggested  a  good  idea  of  what  a  Greek  temenos  must 
have  been,  such  as  those  so  familiar  at  Baalbec  and 
elsewhere,  although  these  occupy  much  greater  space. 
We  spent  two  or  three  days  in  visiting  the  other 
temple  groups,  which  are  all  worth  seeing.  One  large 
temple  is  called  the  Hall  of  Meditation.  It  is  quite 
empty,  save  for  one  semi-colossal  image  of  Buddha, 
but  is  surrounded  by  a  very  wide  verandah,  where 
the  worshippers  walk  round  and  round  for  hours 
repeating  the  name  of  Buddha,  and  counting  the 
repetitions  on  their  rosaries.  In  all  these  temples 
the  enormous  wooden  roof,  carved  with  all  sorts  of 
figures  and  rich  in  gilt  and  paint,  is  the  most  striking 
feature.  The  wonderful  carved  work  and  lacquer- 
furnishing  of  these  structures  occupy  pages  and  pages 
of  the  guide-books,  and  are  interwoven  with  the 
history  of  Japan  for  many  centuries  back.  It  is  the 
Valhalla  of  the  nation,  and  the  traveller  who  wishes 
to  be  inspired  with  the  spirit  of  old  Japan  must  make 
his  sojourn  at  Nikko,  and  not  at  Tokio. 

Though  many  thousand  natives  annually  visit 
Nikko  as  pilgrims,  yet  amongst  all  the  crowds  which 
we  saw  there  seemed  to  be  very  little  worship  and  no 
enthusiasm.  They  stroll  quietly  about  like  sightseers 


A    VISIT    TO    NIKKO  101 

in  Durham  Cathedral,  and  drop  a  rin  (^  penny)  here 
and  there  into  a  box.  The  only  shrines  that 
apparently  created  devotion  were  those  of  the  God  of 
Wealth,  represented  by  a  fat  man  with  a  huge  sack 
on  his  back,  sitting  on  two  great  sacks  of  rice,  and 
grinning.  He  gets  abundance  of  rin,  candles,  and 
prayers.  I  should  explain  that  in  most  of  the  temples 
there  are  many  little  shrines  exactly  corresponding 
to  the  side  altars  of  Romish  worship,  which  are  dedi- 
cated to  numerous  popular  or  local  deities,  evolved 
partly  from  distorted  traditions  of  Shintoism,  and 
partly  from  the  many  incarnations  of  Buddha. 

Another  popular  deity  is  the  God  of  Strength,  who 
is  represented  with  enormous  arms  and  calves.  His 
shrine  was  heaped  with  offerings  of  pairs  of  tiny  clogs 
and  old  sandals,  and  his  devotees  pray  to  him  that 
their  calves  may  develop  muscles  as  strong  as  his. 
He  is  the  popular  deity  of  the  jinriksha  men.  In  one 
very  rich  temple  three  colossal  wooden  statues  were 
conspicuous,  painted  respectively  red,  green,  and  blue. 
The  green  monster  was  the  God  of  Wind,  carrying 
the  winds,  like  ^Eolus,  in  a  bag.  The  God  of  Thunder 
was  red,  hurling  a  thunderbolt,  very  like  a  statue  of 
Jupiter.  The  third  figure  is,  I  believe,  a  representa- 
tion of  a  mythological  protector  of  Buddha.  This 
temple  struck  me  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  largely 
owing  to  the  effect  of  the  magnificent  cryptomerias 
and  noble  rhododendrons  grouped  around  it. 

The  wonderful  temples  and  collection  of  Japanese 
art  are  not  the  only  attractions  of  Nikko.  For  any 
one  sound  in  wind  and  limb  it  is  an  admirable  centre 


102  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

for  excursions.  In  every  direction  we  found  long 
and  lovely  walks  up  the  valleys,  with  mountains 
towering  above,  their  summits  still  covered  with 
snow,  and  their  lower  slopes  painted  with  the  pink 
and  crimson  bloom  of  trees  of  various  kinds,  some 
of  them  unknown  to  me.  Turning  round  in  our 
scrambles,  we  looked  down  on  mountain  streams 
dashing  over  the  boulders,  while  the  ground  of  the 
open  forest  was  covered  with  the  bright  red  flowers 
of  the  creeping  Pyrus  japonica,  varied  by  the  sombre 
clusters  of  dog-violet.  We  could  scarcely  go  a  mile 
without  coming  across  waterfalls,  any  one  of  which 
would  have  made  the  fortune  of  a  German  or  a  Swiss 
pleasure  resort. 

A  very  interesting  but  not  long  expedition  is 
that  to  Kamman-ga-fuchi,  by  a  path  up  the  river-side. 
Half  an  hour  from  Nikko  by  the  roadside,  just  front- 
ing the  river,  was  the  most  exquisite  little  miniature 
park  and  house  with  a  little  shrine,  all  in  perfect 
order ;  in  every  respect  a  typical  Japanese  gem. 
Attached  to  it  was  a  tea-house,  the  landlady  of  which 
showed  us  about,  presented  us  with  bouquets  of 
flowers,  and,  seeing  I  was  interested  in  her  horti- 
culture, with  true  national  courtesy  took  me  round, 
giving  me  the  Japanese  names  of  the  various  shrubs. 
This  was  all  done  without  any  expectation  of  a 
douceur,  which  when  offered  was  waved  back  with 
the  expression  Do  itae/iimas/iite  ?  or  '  What  have  1 
done  ? '  though  eventually  accepted. 

The  path  follows  along  for  some  distance  the 
winding  course  of  the  stream,  till  we  arrived  at 


A   VISIT   TO    NIKKO  105 

Kamman-ga-fuchi,  where,  ranged  on  the  other  side 
of  the  river,  are  a  long  row  of  images  of  Buddha, 
about  a  hundred  in  number.  Nothing  is  known 
authentically  of  their  origin  or  meaning,  but  we  were 
told  that  it  is  impossible  to  count  them  accurately, 
and  that  however  often  the  feat  is  attempted,  the 
conclusion  is  always  different.  This  superstition  is 
not  peculiar  to  Japan,  for  the  same  thing  is  said  of 
various  circles  of  Druidical  stones  in  England. 

Although  without  a  history,  a  visit  to  these 
Buddhas,  and  the  lovely,  if  not  grand,  scenery,  amply 
repays  the  walk.  Not  the  least  interesting  to  me 
was  the  introduction  it  afforded  me  to  many  of  the 
native  birds  for  the  first  time.  The  Japanese 
ornithology  is  peculiarly  interesting  to  a  British 
naturalist,  from  its  close  resemblance  to,  as  well  as 
its  marked  difference  from,  our  British  fauna.  The 
most  conspicuous  and  attractive  bird  in  this  walk 
was  the  Japanese  pied  wagtail  (very  much  larger,  and 
with  the  black  and  white  in  its  plumage  more 
strikingly  contrasted  than  in  our  own),  which  con- 
tinually flitted  across  our  path,  or  ran  in  the  road  in 
front  of  us.  The  trees  and  shrubs  were  ceaselessly 
visited  by  little  flocks  of  various  kinds  of  titmice, 
some  identical  with,  and  others  very  close  to,  our 
own.  Family  parties  of  the  schoolboy's  favourite, 
the  long-tailed  or  bottle  tit,  were  seldom  absent 
from  view.  The  representative  of  the  great  tit,  with 
exactly  the  same  note  as  our  own,  the  marsh  and 
the  cole  were  everywhere  in  evidence  ;  and  the  con- 
spicuous chestnut,  black,  and  white  titmouse  (Parus 


106  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

varius)  peculiar  to  Japan,  and  its  favourite  cage-bird, 
was  most  abundant  of  all. 

Leaving  what  I  call  the  glen  of  the  Buddhas,  we 
mounted  the  hill  by  a  not  too  steep  ascent  and 
visited  various  cascades,  whose  quaint  Japanese 
names  I  need  not  inflict  upon  my  readers,  but  which 
may  be  translated,  one  as  the  '  vermicelli  cascade,' 
another  as  the  '  mist  falling/  a  very  appropriate 
name  ;  and  another  as  the  '  pillow  cascade,'  why  so 
named  I  know  not.  All  these  have  a  fall  of  from 
fifty  to  sixty  feet,  and  at  the  time  of  our  visit  were 
unusually  fine,  owing  to  the  melted  snow.  We  were 
rather  too  early  for  the  botany,  but  there  were 
already  many  interesting  ferns  unfolding  their  fronds, 
several  of  which,  especially  an  aspidium,  were  entirely 
new  to  me.  But  in  every  department  of  natural 
history,  the  birds,  the  butterflies,  the  fishes,  the  botany, 
the  same  difficulty  arises.  Everything  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  fauna  and  flora  of  Europe,  and  yet 
almost  always  there  is  a  difference,  less  so  perhaps  in 
the  birds  than  in  anything  else.  That  laughing, 
screaming  jay  among  those  maples  overhead,  you 
would  say,  was  undoubtedly  our  own  jay  to  the 
minutest  particular,  and  yet  if  you  were  to  handle 
him,  he  is  different,  but  only  by  a  black  streak  from 
his  beak  to  his  eye,  where  our  jay  is  chestnut.  And 
so  the  bullfinch,  identical  at  first  sight  with  our  bird- 
fancier's  darling  and  gardener's  abomination,  voice, 
flight,  nest,  and  eggs  un distinguishable ;  but  we  shall 
always  find  the  native  of  Japan  with  a  ruddy  tinge 
on  the  back,  and  less  decisive  red  on  the  breast,  yet 


A    VISIT   TO    NIKKO  107 

bullfinch  all  the  world  over.  And  so  with  the 
butterflies.  Though  the  characteristic  forms  of  Japan 
often  rival  the  Indian  in  splendour,  and  infinitely 
surpass  our  own  in  variety,  these  do  not  appear  till 
the  summer  is  further  advanced  ;  but  our  ramble  was 
enlivened  by  the  hovering  of  familiar  acquaintances, 
especially  the  common  cabbage  white  and  pale  clouded 
yellow.  These  two  species  are  identical  with  our 
own.  Along  with  these,  but  in  sparser  numbers, 
were  representatives  of  our  early  spring  friends,  an 
orange  tip  and  a  brimstone. 

Our  next  expedition  was  very  much  longer,  and 
was  one  of  the  most  charming  rambles  which  we 
enjoyed  in  the  whole  country.  It  was  to  the  Lake 
of  Chusenji.  We  had  to  make  an  early  start,  for  it 
is  a  five  hours'  walk  and  a  steady  ascent  nearly  the 
whole  way,  through  wild  scrub  and  forest,  the  whole 
of  which  is  tan  imperial  preserve  where  Nature  has 
full  sway ;  though  I  fear  that  in  Japan,  as  in 
England,  the  genus  poacher  exists  in  spite  of  royal 
and  imperial  edicts.  As  we  left  the  road  which  for  a 
mile  or  two  we  had  traversed  yesterday,  and  entered 
a  pathway  up  the  hillside,  a  large  notice  slab  attracted 
our  attention,  warning  the  visitor  that  the  killing 
or  snaring  of  living  things  in  any  manner  was  for- 
bidden by  imperial  command.  I  am  afraid  it  does 
not  speak  well  for  the  reputation  of  our  countrymen 
that  half-way  up,  at  the  tea-house  where  travellers 
halt,  we  found  a  similar  notice  in  English  as  well  as 
in  the  vernacular. 

Our  path  lay  by  the  edge  of  a  deep  gorge,  with  a 


108  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

swollen  stream  dashing  far  beneath,  and  for  the  first 
four  miles  cultivated  ground  intermingled  with  cop- 
pice. The  front  seemed  to  be  barred  by  a  snow- 
capped volcanic  mountain  range  with  many  jagged 
peaks,  the  highest  of  which,  Nantaizan,  is  laid  down 
as  8,300  feet.  Men  were  fishing  in  the  most 
tempting-looking  trout  pools,  and  rapidly  filling 
their  creels  from  the  milky  turbid  water  with  a  kind 
of  trout,  with  crimson  bellies  and  silver  spots.  These 
sportsmen  were  courteous  and  friendly,  and  proud  to 
exhibit  their  tackle,  which  was  really  very  clever. 
Their  rods  were  simple  bamboo  stems.  They  had  a 
good  assortment  of  flies  in  little  boxes,  among  them 
salmon  flies,  made  of  what  seemed  to  me  golden 
pheasant  feathers.  They  told  me  they  used  these  in 
the  lake  above,  though  the  river  seemed  an  arduous 
one  for  the  most  agile  of  salmon  to  attempt.  I  was 
told  that  there  is  abundance  of  salmon  in  the  lake, 
but  this  was  not  the  season  for  them.  The  streams 
are  well  stocked  with  smaller  fry  of  various  species, 
which  I  will  not  attempt  to  name.  We  soon  began 
to  climb  the  steep  mountain-side  by  a  rough  path, 
occasionally  cut  for  a  long  distance  out  of  the  cliff, 
high  above  the  stream.  We  were  in  a  forest  of 
cryptomeria,  pine,  fir  (Abies  tsuya),  maple,  alder,  oak, 
birch,  and  larch,  not  yet  in  leaf. 

The  gigantic  cryptomerias  were  a  grand  sight, 
and  occasionally  a  tall  fir  towered  above  all  the  sur- 
rounding hard-wood  trees.  But  with  few  exceptions 
the  deciduous  trees  and  ferns  were  only  just  budding. 
I  here  saw  the  Japanese  robin  and  hedge-sparrow 


A   VISIT    TO   NIKKO  109 

for  the  first  time,  both  very  like  our  own,  and 
exactly  resembling  them  in  note  and  habits,  though 
in  Japan  they  are  both  exclusively  mountain  birds, 
said  never  to  be  found  lower  than  4,000  feet,  and 
consequently  are  the  rarest  of  Japanese  birds  in  collec- 
tions. One  large  tree,  not  in  leaf,  but  covered  with 
sheets  of  large  rosy  blossoms  of  an  open  trumpet  shape, 
monopetalous,  called  by  our  men  the  yasu,  we  could 
not  make  out.  It  only  grows  at  a  considerable 
altitude,  and,  in  fact,  generally  the  unmelted  snow 
carpeted  the  ground  where  it  was  in  flower.  Here  it 
was  so  abundant  as  to  make  up  for  the  want  of 
foliage  in  the  other  trees,  and  contrasted  beautifully 
with  the  dark  firs  and  cry p torn erias.  There  were 
plenty  of  species  of  thuyas  and  other  smaller  trees 
strange  to  me.  One  of  the  most  striking  features  of 
this  forest  were  the  festoons  of  a  long  trailing  moss 
(Lycopodium  Sieboldi),  which  with  its  tendrils  forms 
fleecy  pendants  from  each  bough,  and  at  a  distance 
these  have  the  effect  of  a  silvery  mist  enveloping 
the  tree. 

Some  fine  cascades  varied  the  scene,  and  here  and 
there  a  chalet-like  tea-house  was  perched  on  the  edge 
of  a  bluff"  commanding  some  fine  view  of  a  waterfall 
or  ravine.  We  halted  at  more  than  one  of  them,  and 
enjoyed  green  tea  at  half  a  farthing  a  cup,  with  a 
morsel  of  green  bean  cake  and  a  sugar-plum  thrown 
in.  The  situation  of  these  tea-houses  is  another 
instance  of  the  inborn  love  of  natural  beauty  so 
characteristic  of  the  people.  On  a  moist  bank  behind 
one  of  these  tea-houses  I  found  large  clumps  of 


110  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

Primula  japonica,  and  it  was  interesting  to  note 
that  the  colours  were  as  varied  in  the  wild  as  in  the 
cultivated  specimens  in  our  gardens,  though  possibly 
these  may  have  been  stragglers  from  cultivation. 

The  road  or  track  had  been  washed  away  in 
many  places  by  recent  floods,  and  we  often  had  to 
pass  and  repass  the  stream  by  what  seemed  perilously 
slender  bamboo  and  straw  foot-bridges,  which,  as 
they  had  no  hand-rails,  demanded  all  one's  nerve  to 
make  a  safe  passage,  the  bridge  being  simply  three 
or  four  very  long  bamboos  thrown  across  the  gully, 
and  wisps  of  rice  straw  plaited  between  them.  But 
we  soon  found  that  they  were  not  difficult  to  use,  so 
long  as  only  one  passenger  at  a  time  attempts  the 
feat,  the  straw  wisps  affording  a  foot-hold  that,  at 
least,  does  not  slip.  Perhaps  they  are  not  more 
permanent  than  the  plaited  straw  sandals,  or  waraji, 
which  strew  the  paths  everywhere,  and  which  can 
be  bought  for  a  penny  a  pair  at  every  wayside  shop 
and  tea-house,  and  which  last  but  a  few  days,  and  are 
then  flung  aside,  the  wearer  being  equally  at  home 
with  or  without  his  sandals.  Towards  the  end  of  a 
long  day  I  often  felt  sorely  tempted  to  discard  my 
heavy  European  shoes  and.  slitting  the  end  of  my 
stocking,  to  adopt  the  light  and  airy  waraji,  which  is 
only  fastened  by  a  couple  of  wisps  passing  between 
the  great  and  other  toes,  and  then  round  the  ankle. 

A  less  steep  but  far  more  circuitous  road  to  the 
sacred  lake  was  being  constructed,  and  several  times 
intersected  our  path.  It  was  evidently  engineered 
with  great  skill,  for  this  is  a  science  to  which  the 


A   VISIT   TO    NIKKO  111 

Japanese  have  applied  themselves  with  great  energy 
and  success.  The  horses  employed  in  the  cuttings 
for  drawing  the  trolleys  were  all  shod,  not  with  iron 
shoes,  but  with  straw  sandals  like  their  masters, 
fastened  on  like  the  leather  slippers  which  our  horses 
wear  in  drawing  lawn-mowers.  This  was  not  the 
only  new  road  in  course  of  construction,  for  the 
whole  neighbourhood  of  Nikko  was  as  full  of  road 
repairing  as  though  a  new  County  Council  had  just 
come  into  office.  On  inquiring  why  so  much  was 
being  done  to  the  roads,  we  were  informed  that  as 
the  honourable  visit  of  the  great  Czarovitch  of  Russia 
was  looked  for  in  a  few  weeks,  they  wished  to  have 
all  the  roads  in  the  best  possible  condition,  and  a 
considerable  sum  was  being  spent  on  them.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  untoward  event  to  be  mentioned 
later  on  in  our  rambles,  the  imperial  visit  to  Nikko 
was  never  accomplished. 

At  length  we  arrive  at  the  Lake  of  Chusenji,  a 
great  mountain  tarn,  in  a  wide  mountain  amphi- 
theatre, the  steep  slopes  of  which  are  thickly  wooded 
everywhere  to  the  water's  edge.  It  is  about  eight 
miles  long  and  not  quite  three  wide,  about  4,500  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  road  suddenly  opens  upon  one 
end  of  the  lake,  affording  a  view  along  its  whole 
length.  We  proceed  through  a  long  wooden  village, 
with  a  monotonous  row  of  sheds  or  huts  on  one  side, 
all  shut  up,  the  lodgings  of  the  pilgrims  who  crowd 
to  this  holy  place  in  summer.  The  Shinto  temple 
is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Shodo  Shonin  a 
thousand  and  eighty  years  ago,  and  the  grounds  are 


112  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

looked  upon  as  sacred,  and  can  only  be  entered  on 
foot.  The  side  of  the  village  nearest  the  lake  before 
one  reaches  the  temple  is  lined  with  shops  and  tea- 
houses, provided  with  charming  balconies  over- 
hanging the  lake,  and  with  a  lovely  view  of  the 
mountains ;  and  beneath  boats  lie  idly  moored, 
irresistibly  inviting  us  to  an  excursion. 

Here  we  were  treated  in  real  country  fashion. 
Our  guest-chamber  on  the  first  floor  was  one  with 
the  verandah  overhanging  the  calm  blue  waters, 
and  on  the  matting  we  sat.  Brightly  clad  damsels 
carried  tiny  square  lacquer  tables,  about  six  inches 
high,  which  they  set  before  us,  but  considerately 
supplied  us  with  futon  (wadded  quilts  rolled  up)  on 
which  to  lean ;  a  delicate  consideration  for  our 
Western  uncouthness.  One  little  table  was  set 
before  each  guest,  on  which  were  little  saucers  of 
exquisite  mountain  trout,  seaweed  soup,  and — the 
one  delicacy  which  we  never  could  be  brought  to 
endure — daikon,  a  sort  of  decayed  radish.  These 
delicacies,  however,  we  supplemented  by  substantiate 
brought  from  the  valley  below.  After  a  rest  of  two 
or  three  hours  we  investigated  the  sights  of  the 
place,  and  returned  by  a  slightly  different  route, 
which  enabled  us  to  see  another  fine  cascade,  350 
feet.  It  was  dark  long  before  we  had  reached  our 
delicious  little  inn,  thoroughly  tired  and  as  thoroughly 
happy.  We  found  our  arrival  awaited  by  a  circle  of 
vendors  of  curios,  lacquer-ware,  bronzes,  photos,  and 
bird-skins,  for  our  fame  had  evidently  spread,  visitors 
being  very  rare  at  this  time  of  year.  But  not  even 


A   VISIT    TO    NIKKO 


113 


the  bird-skins  could  keep  us  awake,  and  we  promptly 
retired  to  our  well-earned  rest. 

During  the  night  we  were  occasionally  roused  by 
the  sound  as  of  the  swish  of  a  dozen  shower-baths 
combined,  but  our  little  wooden  doll-house,  thin  as 
were  its  boards,  turned  the  rain  well.  So  deep  were 


LAKE  OP  CHUSENJI. 


the  eaves  that  in  the  morning  we  found  even  the 
verandahs  dry,  though  the  rain  ceased  not  the 
whole  day.  It  was  the  first  wet  day  I  had  had  in 
Japan,  and  I  only  had  one  more  during  my  visit, 
and  it  also  was  a  Sunday.  To  take  a  walk  was 
out  of  the  question,  but  our  friends  from  the  foreign 
hotel  joined  us  for  morning  service,  as  well  as  a 
young  native,  a  friend  of  our  landlord,  and,  so  far 


114  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

as  we  knew,  the  only  Christian  in  Nikko.  He  was 
an  intelligent  young  man  who  often  came  in  to 
offer  his  services  as  interpreter  if  required,  or  to 
tell  us  the  traditions  of  the  place.  He  had  been 
five  years  in  California,  where  he  had  joined  the 
Christian  Church  and  been  baptized.  He  had  settled 
here  as  a  teacher  of  English.  That  a  young  man  of 
superior  position  can  find  it  worth  while  to  establish 
himself  in  a  small,  out-of-the-way  country  town  as  a 
teache^  of  English,  shows  the  rapidity  with  which  the 
study  of  our  language  is  advancing. 

In  fact,  as  I  shall  have  occasion  to  mention  later, 
the  only  foreign  languages  that  seem  to  have  any 
attraction  for  this  people  are  English  and  Chinese. 
The  latter  most  naturally,  as  it  is  the  vehicle  through 
which  they  have  received  all  their  religious  and 
moral  teaching,  for  the  aboriginal  religion  of  Shinto- 
ism  has  no  literature,  and  the  Buddhist  classics  which 
are  studied  are  in  the  Chinese  language ;  while  their 
whole  moral  teaching  is  based  upon  Confucianism,  all 
the  treatises  on  which  are  in  the  same  tongue.  It 
should  be  understood  that  in  Japanese  literature  the 
characters  used  are  Chinese,  the  inflections  and 
particles  being  added  in  the  Japanese  syllabary,  or 
kana,  as  it  is  called.  The  Chinese  being  an  un- 
inflected  language,  and  structurally  utterly  distinct 
from  Japanese,  the  latter  have  adopted  the  Chinese 
sign  for  the  root- word,  to  which  they  affix  kana  or 
syllabic  signs  as  may  be  required.  Moreover,  before 
the  opening  of  the  country  to  foreigners  they  had 
some  external  and  diplomatic  dealings  with  China, 


A   VISIT    TO   NIKKO  115 

which  rendered  the  language  a  useful  accomplishment 
both  to  the  statesman  and  the  merchant.  All  these 
facts  have  led  to  the  incorporation  of  many  Chinese 
words  in  the  learned  language,  though  their  pro- 
nunciation would  be  unintelligible  to  a  Chinaman. 
With  the  opening  of  the  country  to  trade,  to  foreign 
inventions,  and  to  modern  science,  has  arisen  the 
necessity  for  a  limitless  addition  of  scientific  terms 
to  the  language.  To  meet  this  want  the  Japanese 
have  never  adopted  English  words,  but  have  gone  to 
Chinese,  exactly  as  we  do  to  Greek  for  terms  relating 
to  steam,  electricity,  navigation,  and  the  like. 

Our  visitor  evidently  enjoyed  the  service,  though 
perhaps  a  somewhat  lukewarm  Christian.  Yet  how, 
as  he  remarked,  could  his  faith  do  otherwise  than 
'  get  thin,'  according  to  the  Japanese  idiom,  when 
alone,  without  one  fellow-believer  to  sympathise  with 
him,  in  this  very  centre  of  Japanese  Buddhism  ! 

In  the  afternoon  the  clouds  still  continued  their 
ceaseless  downpour,  and  my  daughter  succeeded  in 
gathering  in  our  parlour,  out  of  which  the  table  and 
two  chairs  were  cleared,  a  little  company  of  the 
young  Christian,  the  wife,  family,  and  servants  of 
Mr.  Kanaya,  our  landlord,  and  several  of  the 
neighbours.  They  all  sat  round  the  room  on  the 
mats,  my  daughter,  in  the  centre,  reading  and 
explaining  by  means  of  Scripture  pictures  the  Gospe 
story,  and  keeping  up  their  eager  attention  for  a 
couple  of  hours. 

Mr.  Kanaya,  as  a  member  of  the  choir  of  one  of 
the  Buddhist  temples,  supplied  me  with  a  set  of  altar 

I  2 


116  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

furniture  in  bronze  which  had  become  his  perquisite 
on  being  replaced  by  a  newer  set.  They  would  almost 
have  served  for  a  Eomish  altar,  consisting  of  two 
candlesticks,  a  pair  of  flower- vases,  a  paten  for  rice,  a 
small  incense  censer,  and  a  little  acolyte's  bell.  In 
addition,  I  obtained  a  set  of  Buddhist  priest's  robes, 
the  cassock  being  light  green,  the  alb  represented  by 
a  pale  drab  vest,  whilst  an  embroidered  tippet  would 
admirably  do  duty  for  a  chasuble,  and  a  green  stole 
embroidered  in  gold  completed  the  outfit.  There  is 
nothing  new  under  the  sun  ! 

We  spent  another  day  in  visiting  other  groups 
of  temples,  to  describe  which  would  be  in  the  main 
a  repetition  of  the  former  account ;  and  afterwards 
walked  up  a  magnificent  avenue  of  cryptomerias 
shading  a  finely  paved  road.  Many  of  the  trees  are 
seven  feet  in  diameter,  but  their  height  is  greater 
in  proportion.  We  measured  one  of  them  by  the 
simple  method  which  I  have  often  employed  in  calcu- 
lating the  height  of  ruins  ;  that  is,  by  using  a  long 
stick  and  comparing  the  length  of  its  shadow  with 
that  of  the  tree,  then  calculating  by  proportion  the 
height  of  the  tree  from  the  length  of  the  stick.  We 
found  its  height  to  be  160  feet.  These  trees  are  said 
to  be  the  tallest  in  the  world  next  to  the  sequoias  of 
California.  In  the  wood  a  number  of  very  curious 
plants  rewarded  our  research,  especially  a  sort  of 
giant  Herb  Paris,  with  three  leaves  instead  of  four— 
the  badge  of  the  Tokugawa  Shogun  family.  But  as 
it  was  only  just  in  leaf,  I  had  no  means  of  ascer- 
taining its  botanical  character.  Every  now  and  then 


iSUUUUIST  PKIEST. 


A   VISIT   TO   NIKKO  119 

at  the  side  of  the  path  was  a  little  niche  scooped  out 
in  the  rock,  in  which  was  placed  a  miniature  little 
Buddha,  very  delicately  carved  in  wood,  some  of 
them  not  more  than  six  inches  high,  and  the  remains 
of  a  few  tapers  in  front,  recalling  the  little  wayside 
shrines  of  Italy  or  Spain.  I  was  sorely  tempted  to 
pocket  one  of  these  interesting  relics,  but  did  not 
feel  myself  justified  in  acting  the  iconoclast,  though 
I  argued  that  it  might  be  a  very  efficient  way  of 
suppressing  Buddhism. 

Another  charming  little  expedition  was  to  thf* 
cascade  of  Nanataki.  The  walk  afforded  every  variety 
of  native  scenery — dashing  mountain  torrents,  rickety 
bamboo  bridges,  pine-woods,  picturesque  tea-houses, 
and  fairy  little  gardens  with  their  lakes  and  bridges, 
the  former  full  of  goldfish.  Wherever  a  little  rock 
or  edge  of  a  bluff  offered  a  site  with  an  attractive 
landscape,  there  was  sure  to  be  perched  a  tea-house. 
In  a  wood  was  a  sequestered  cemetery,  where  the 
ashes  of  those  cremated  are  deposited  under  tiny 
obelisks.  There  was  one  new  handsome  obelisk  with 
a  long  inscription,  all  picked  out  in  red,  and  a  toy 
shrine  in  front  of  it  with  bright  flowers  planted 
around.  The  red  paint  signifies  that  the  hero  of  the 
monument  is  still  living,  for  those  who  can  afford  it 
like  to  put  them  up  and  inscribe  their  epitaphs  in 
their  lifetime.  At  length  we  reached  a  tea-house  on 
the  top  of  a  hill,  and  from  it  looked  down  into  the 
next  valley,  with  a  fine  waterfall,  perhaps  200  feet 
high.  I  was  content  with  the  distant  prospect, 
though  the  proper  proceeding  would  have  been  to 


120  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

scramble  down  the  steep  side  of  the  mountain,  and 
then,  despising  the  drenching  from  the  spray,  to  get 
between  the  water  and  the  cliff.  As  a  naturalist  my 
time  was  not  wasted,  for,  whether  it  were  yesterday's 
rain  or  this  morning's  bright  sun,  one  or  other  had 
evoked  a  number  of  butterflies,  who  emerged  for  the 
first  time  from  their  chrysalides. 

On  our  return  we  had,  as  usual,  a  levee  of  curio- 
mongers,  and  certainly  our  fastidiousness  on  former 
evenings  had  induced  them  to  bring  some  really  good 
bits  of  old  bronze,  etc.  But  most  satisfactory  to  me 
was  the  return  of  a  man  and  a  boy  who  had  brought 
a  few  bird-skins  the  first  evening,  and  who  had  been 
evidently  surprised  by  my  taking  the  whole  consign- 
ment. I  had  told  the  bearer  to  bring  some  more.  On 
this  occasion  the  collector  himself  appeared  with  his 
lad  with  between  two  and  three  hundred  skins,  very 
neatly  made,  all  labelled  and  ticketed  with  Japanese 
name,  place,  and  date.  Recognising  some  of  the 
labels  as  being  of  a  type  familiar  to  me  at  home,  I 
inquired  what  he  usually  did  with  his  birds.  He 
explained  that  he  had  been  for  several  years  employed 
by  an  Englishman,  who  was  now  dead,  to  whom  he 
used  to  send  all  he  collected.  I  soon  ascertained  that 
he  had  been  employed  by  the  late  Mr.  H.  Pryer, 
through  whom  I  had  obtained  many  specimens. 
Unfortunately  the  locality  usually  given  had  been 
Yokohama,  whereas  all  these  birds  were  collected  in 
the  forests  round  Nikko,  and  at  a  height  of  from  three 
to  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  No  wonder 
that  English  writers  have  gone  astray  as  to  the 


A  VISIT   TO   NIKKO  121 

localities  of  the  birds  of  Japan.  It  was  pretty  much 
as  if  the  dotterels  and  ring-ousels  of  Cross  Fell  should 
be  labelled  *  Obtained  at  Liverpool/  I  found  both 
him  and  his  lad  most  intelligent  and  delightful 
enthusiasts.  Along  with  the  bird-skins  were  specimens 
of  no  less  than  five  species  of  squirrel.  The  lad 
explained  to  me  in  word  and  pantomime  the  homes 
and  habits  of  each  species.  Amongst  them  were  two 
or  three  skins  of  a  very  large  species,  which  he  stated 
to  me  was  found  in  summer  only  in  the  pine-forests 
near  the  mountain  top ;  but  in  winter,  during  heavy 
snowstorms,  he  declared  that,  unlike  any  other  kind, 
these  creatures  came  down  to  the  villages  (we  are 
speaking,  of  course,  of  villages  of  higher  altitude  than 
Nikko),  and  when  they  saw  at  night  a  light  through 
the  walls  of  a  cottage,  would  break  a  hole  through 
the  paper,  and,  entering  without  ceremony,  put  out 
the  candle  and  eat  it.  I  give  this  story  for  what  it 
is  worth  ;  but  it  certainly  was  not  only  vouched  for 
by  the  lad  and  his  employer,  but  attested  by  all  the 
by-sitters.  His  collection  comprised  more  than  a 
hundred  species  of  birds,  but  he  had  seldom  brought 
more  than  a  pair  of  each,  all  carefully  sexed.  I  took 
them  up  one  by  one,  and  at  once  the  note  was 
imitated,  and  often  the  action  of  the  bird,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  woodpeckers,  with  inimitable  pantomime. 
Whether  it  were  the  jerking  of  the  black  water-ousel 
or  dipper,  the  skimming  of  the  swallow,  the  dash  of 
the  swift,  the  chatter  of  the  jay,  or  the  sudden  whistle 
of  the  bush-warbler  as  it  darts  up  a  reed,  each  one 
was  perfectly  represented  as  I  leisurely  took  up  one 


122  RAMBLES   IN    JAPAN 

after  another  from  the  pile  and  asked,  '  What  is  the 
name  of  this  ?     What  does  it  do  ? ' 

I  found  that  my  visitor  had  lately  received  an 
order  from  a  dealer  at  Yokohama  to  supply  a 
complete  set  of  birds  for  an  English  collector,  for 
whom  these  were  intended.  I  offered  him,  however, 
a  reasonable  price  for  the  whole,  which  he  willingly 
accepted,  though  he  told  me — what  I  quite  believe — 
that  he  charged  his  Yokohama  customer  three  times 
the  price.  I  suspect  that  very  few  of  these  birds  were 
shot ;  in  fact,  the  collector  told  me  that  he  captured 
the  smaller  species  with  bird-lime,  and  the  larger, 
including  the  pheasants,  with  hair-springes.  One 
characteristic  bird  was  conspicuous  by  its  absence. 
There  were  no  cranes  in  the  collection.  Although 
five  species  are  known  as  belonging  to  Japan,  and 
three  of  them,  the  white- naped,  white-headed,  and 
especially  the  sacred  crane,  are  frequently  semi- 
domesticated  in  parks,  public  and  private,  and  are 
familiar  as  continually  recurring  in  Japanese  art,  yet 
I  fear  their  fate  in  Japan  in  the  near  future  is  that  of 
their  congeners  in  England — extinction.  I  only  once 
in  the  course  of  my  rambles  saw  a  flock  of  wild  cranes 
—at  least  near  enough  to  identify  them — and  this 
was  in  the  Inland  Sea,  where  a  V-shaped  party  of  the 
white-naped  crane  passed  overhead.  My  friend, 
however,  did  not  admit  their  extinction,  but  assured 
me  he  was  far  too  loyal  a  subject  of  the  Mikado  and 
reverencer  of  the  gods  to  commit  the  crime  of 
molesting  this  sacred  bird. 

It  must  have  been  midnight  before  our  ornitho- 


A   VISIT   TO   NIKKO 

logical  seance  came  to  an  end — perhaps  the  most 
instructive  natural-history  lecture  that  I  ever  enjoyed. 
But  all  things  come  to  an  end,  even  a  visit  to  Nikko, 
though  we  were  loth  to  tear  ourselves  away  from  this 
fascinating  spot  and  its  surroundings.  The  final 
reckoning  with  our  host  was  to  me  a  most  amusing 
illustration  of  the  national  courtesies.  Mr.  Kanaya 
acted  as  though  the  production  of  his  bill  were  the 
most  painful  effort,  and  at  length  reluctantly  he 
brought  it  forth,  consisting  of  a  number  of  Chinese 
scrawls  on  strips  of  tissue-paper.  On  bended  knees 
and  forehead  touching  the  mat  did  my  friend  push  it 
forward  ;  I,  bowing  as  well  as  my  stiff  Western  back 
would  permit  me,  placed  the  proper  sum,  wrapped  in 
thin  white  paper,  before  him,  for  nothing  is  more 
ill-bred  than  to  hand  coin  without  its  being  wrapped 
in  paper.  Again  it  was  received  with  bowing,  low, 
lower,  lowest ;  but  it  is  always  the  rule  of  politeness 
to  pay  something  more  than  the  bill — in  fact,  to  pay 
an  hotel  bill  net  would  be  considered  an  insult,  or  at 
least  a  mark  of  great  dissatisfaction.  Therefore, 
wrapping  a  yen  (dollar)  in  white  paper,  I  added  it 
with  low  bows.  It  was  returned  with  lower,  and 
finally  pressed  upon  the  host  with  still  more  profound 
inclinations,  and  was  at  length  duly  and  gratefully 
received.  The  bright  little  waiting-maid  received  her 
yen  with  the  same  show  of  modest  reluctance. 


124  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE     HAKONE     LAKE 

RETURNING  from  Nikko  to  Tokio  was  quitting  the 
world  of  romance  and  ancient  history  to  enter  that 
of  modern  civilisation  and  fashion.  We  remained  a 
few  days  under  Bishop  Bickersteth's  hospitable  roof, 
and  diversified  sight-seeing  with  much  social  inter- 
course, very  Western  in  its  character.  We  enjoyed 
parties  official,  ecclesiastical,  and  antiquarian,  and 
under  the  happiest  auspices  made  acquaintance  with 
many  charming  cultured  and  literary  residents  of 
various  nationalities.  Not  the  least  interesting  was 
an  evening  with  my  old  Palestine  collaborator, 
General  Palmer,  R.E.,  now  employed  officially  by 
the  Japanese  Government ;  and  another  evening 
with  Dr.  Whitney,  the  Secretary  to  the  United 
States  Legation,  full  of  information,  not  only  on 
Japanese  history  and  politics,  but  also — which  was 
to  me  a  great  boon — on  the  botany  of  the  country. 
He  supplied  me  with  what  proved  invaluable  in 
our  subsequent  rambles — a  portable  botanical  press 
and  a  large  supply  of  botanical  paper,  as  well  as  a 
catalogue  of  the  flora  of  Japan,  in  Japanese  and 
Latin,  to  be  the  nucleus  of  my  Japanese  library. 
Before  leaving  Tokio,  it  was  ratKer  alarming  to  dis- 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  127 

cover  how  truly  we  had  verified  the  saying  so  far  that 
the  buying  mania  seizes  everyone  on  landing,  and 
never  leaves  them  till  they  quit  the  shores.  The 
packing  of  all  our  purchases,  armour,  swords,  bronzes, 
birds,  etc.,  and  despatching  them  to  Yokohama,  was 
a  good  day's  work. 

And  now  we  are  on  the  rail  again  for  a  fifty  miles' 
run  to  Kozu.  We  had  lovely  peeps  of  Fuji  San  with 
her  mantle  of  snow,  recalling  to  me  both  in  shape  and 
situation  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe,  which  it  very  nearly 
equals  in  height.  Fuji,  indeed,  for  many  days  con- 
tinued to  be  the  central  point  round  which  our 
journeys  revolved.  From  its  immense  height,  so  far 
excelling  any  other  mountain  in  the  central  range, 
or  backbone  of  Japan,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a 
wide  extent  of  irregular  plain,  it  gives  from  many 
points  of  view  the  impression  of  a  mountain  rising 
out  of  the  sea  in  solitary  state.  No  natural  feature 
is  so  repeatedly  depicted  in  the  art  of  Japan,  whether 
ceramic,  pictorial,  or  poetic.  The  native  appreciation 
of  its  central  grandeur  may  be  illustrated  by  an 
expression  in  a  sermon  of  a  young  Japanese  clergy- 
man, that  the  verse,  '  God  so  loved  the  world  that 
He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son'  (John  iii.  16),  was 
the  Fuji  San  of  the  Bible.  Great  and  widespread 
was  the  consternation  during  the  earthquake  that 
occurred  shortly  after  my  visit,  when  the  report  was 
spread,  and  credited,  that  Fuji  San  had  been  destroyed. 
It  was  spoken  of,  not  only  as  the  greatest  possible 
national  loss,  but  as  the  most  terrible  omen  for  the 
future.  Correspondingly  great  was  the  rejoicing  when 


128  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

it  was  understood  that  the  beloved  and  sacred 
mountain  still  raised  her  snowy  peak  heavenward, 
though  a  slight  landslip  had  occurred  on  part  of  the 
slope. 

The  railway  deposited  us  at  Kozu,  where  we  had 
a  short  stroll  on  the  beach,  with  a  love]y  view  of  the 
Bay  of  Odawara,  and  in  the  far  distance  the  volcanic 
island  of  Enoshima,  a  reproduction  of  the  Lipari 
Islands  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  whose  volcano  is  still 
as  active  as  theirs.  We  then  transferred  ourselves  to 
the  tram  car  which  was  to  convey  us  to  Yamoto,  for, 
the  traffic  hardly  promising  to  be  remunerative  enough 
for  a  railway,  the  Japanese,  decidedly  in  advance  of 
ourselves  in  these  matters,  at  once  laid  down  a  tram- 
line, while  we  are  talking  of  light  railways  in  aid  of 
agriculture.  We  found  the  tramcars  were  divided 
into  three  classes,  and,  according  to  our  usual  custom, 
took  second-class  tickets.  We  were  amused  afterwards 
to  find  that  the  three  omnibuses  were  identical  in 
their  appointments,  and  that  the  only  distinction  was 
that  the  first  class  preceded  us  by  a  few  yards,  and 
gave  us  the  benefit  of  their  dust,  which  we  passed  on, 
plus  our  own,  to  our  more  economical  third-class 
followers.  The  road  wound  up  a  lovely  valley,  by 
the  side  of  a  turbulent  torrent,  and  much  resembled 
the  drive  to  Balmoral  by  the  Birks  of  Aberfeldy. 
Close  to  the  starting-place  at  Odawara  were  the 
remains  of  what  was  once  a  very  famous  Daimio's 
castle,  which  was  destroyed  during  the  late  revolution. 
From  1490  it  was  for  more  than  a  century  the  seat  of 
government  of  the'Shoguns  of  the  Hojo  line.  The 


THE   HAKONE    LAKE  129 

name  is  preserved  in  a  common  Japanese  proverb 
which  applies  to  any  purposeless  chattering  the 
expression,  '  an  Odawara  Conference.'  The  phrase  is 
said  to  have  originated  from  the  Hojo  chiefs,  who  had 
retired  to  their  castle  after  a  battle  with  the  celebrated 
General  Hideyoshi,  spending  some  days  in  discussing 
the  point  whether  it  were  better  to  attack  the  enemy, 
or  to  allow  him  to  invest  their  stronghold.  While 
they  were  unable  to  come  to  any  conclusion,  Hideyoshi 
solved  the  problem  by  a  sudden  onslaught,  in  which 
he  stormed  the  fortress.  Hence  the  proverb,  an 
admirable  illustration  of  the  saying  of  our  great 
general,  e  Councils  of  war  never  fight.' 

The  tram  runs  parallel  with  the  old  Tokaido — i.e. 
the  eastern  sea-road — beautifully  paved  and  macada 
mised  with  small  pebbles,  very  narrow,  and  lined  by 
grand  old  pines  and  cryptomerias,  chiefly  the  former, 
forming  an  avenue  of  380  miles  between  the  capitals 
of  the  Mikado  and  the  Shogun.  It  was,  in  fact,  the 
great  arterial  line  of  the  country,  though  now,  with 
its  wayside  tea-houses,  as  deserted  as  our  own  great 
North  Koad.  *  The  old  order  changeth,  and  giveth 
place  to  new.' 

Earlier  writers  on  Japan,  from  the  Dutch  down- 
wards, have  given  glowing  pictures  of  the  magnificence, 
the  stir  and  bustle  of  the  Tokaido  of  former  times  :  of 
the  Daimios  in  their  ponderous  palanquins,  attended 
with  their  hundreds  of  henchmen,  the  two-sworded 
Samurai,  resplendent  in  lacquered  armour,  as  twice  a 
year  they  made  their  leisurely  procession  to  do  homage 
to  the  Shogun.  By  the  Tokaido  all  the  inland  com- 

K 


OF   TH  K 
UNIVET 


130  RAMBLES   IN    JAPAN 

merce  of  the  country  was  carried  on  packhorses  ;  the 
whole  line,  we  are  told,  was  as  crowded  as  the 
thoroughfares  of  a  great  city.  Indeed,  it  must  have 
l>een  so,  to  judge  by  the  countless  tea-houses,  many  of 
them  now  deserted,  which  flank  the  avenue  on  either 
side.  Public  conveyances  there  were  none,  and  as  all 
travellers,  except  the  few  Daimios  in  their  palanquins, 
made  their  journey  on  foot,  and  the  Japanese  travel 
very  leisurely,  the  sleeping  accommodation  required 
must  have  been  very  great.  One  of  the  oldest  English 
residents  in  Japan  told  us,  at  the  Embassy,  that  he 
remembered  before  the  revolution  the  processions  of 
the  Daimios  along  the  Tokaido  with  their  regiments 
of  armed  retainers,  and  how  outrunners  preceded  them, 
compelling  not  only  the  common  sort,  but  also  Daimios 
of  lesser  degree,  to  stand  out  of  the  way  as  they  passed. 
Even  now  the  custom  is  still  retained,  not  only  on  the 
road,  but  in  Tokio  and  other  towns,  of  outrunners  on 
foot  preceding  the  gentry,  whether  on  horseback  or  in 
their  carriages.  Thus,  but  thirty  years  ago,  one 
might  have  here  beheld  an  exact  reproduction  of  the 
spectacle  of  the  feudal  lords  of  Europe  and  their  armed 
retainers. 

Arrived  at  the  tram  terminus,  Yamoto,  we  soon 
experienced  the  inconvenience  of  being  on  a  foreigner- 
frequented  track.  We  were  still  four  miles  from  Miya- 
no-Shita,  and  we  were  encumbered  with  more  than 
we  could  carry  ourselves.  The  jinriksha  men  crowded 
round  us  like  Arabs  at  Alexandria  ;  though  with  the 
vociferations  the  likeness  ends,  for  they  were  far 
too  polite  to  seize  our  baggage,  still  less  to  drag  us 


K   2 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  133 

by  force  to  their  own  vehicles.  We  quietly  sat  down 
on  the  seat  in  front  of  the  tea-house,  assuming  an  air 
of  perfect  indifference  as  to  whether  we  remained  there 
for  the  day  or  not.  We  were  assured  it  was  impossible 
for  us  to  walk.  We  smiled,  and  replenished  our  cups 
of  green  tea.  On  our  asserting  our  firm  intention  of 
walking,  the  crowd  looked  at  our  baggage — a  small 
portmanteau  and  two  hold-alls — and  assured  us  we 
could  not  carry  it.  '  We  shall  walk,  and  it  may  be 
carried/  we  said,  and  more  tea  was  sipped.  '  It  will 
take  four  jinrikshas/  they  said.  '  Two  will  be  ample,' 
we  replied.  '  But  these  jinrikshas  are  not  like  the 
Tokio  ones  that  you  know,'  they  objected.  We  told 
them  to  go  by  the  road,  and  we  were  going  round  by 
the  mountain.  '  That  is  impossible/  was  the  reply  ; 
'  the  road  is  closed.'  '  Then  we  will  open  it/  we 
answer,  and  are  utterly  unmoved  by  all  arguments. 

Seeing  us  calm  and  imperturbable,  and  not  in  the 
least  hurried,  two  of  them  at  length  started  with  very 
easy  loads  by  the  road,  and  told  us  we  should  meet 
at  the  Naraya  Hotel.  We  had  a  good  travelling  map, 
and  felt  no  doubt  as  to  our  being  able  to  find  the  way 
without  a  guide,  although  we  had  to  cross  a  wooded 
mountain,  round  which  the  road  makes  a  detour,  and 
descend  into  the  next  valley,  where  we  were  certain 
to  intersect  the  highway.  It  was  fortunate  that  our 
further  adventures  were  out  of  sight  from  Yamoto, 
for  we  missed  the  path,  and  after  pulling  ourselves 
through  dense  underwood  of  aucuba,  deutzia,  weigelia, 
and  wisteria,  up  an  almost  perpendicular  mountain, 
we  found  the  scrub  becoming  really  impenetrable,  and 


134  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

were  compelled  after  half  an  hour  to  retrace  our  steps 
to  the  main  road.  Our  amour-propre  would  have  been 
too  sorely  tried  by  the  humiliation  of  going  back  to 
Yamoto  to  seek  a  guide ;  but  we  descended  upon  the 
next  village,  and  soon  found  a  man  who  knew  the 
track,  and  who  was  willing  to  guide  us.  It  was  indeed 
a  climb,  even  though  we  found  the  true  route,  but 
once  arrived  at  the  summit  we  were  richly  rewarded. 
We  found  ourselves  on  the  crest  of  the  ridge  which 
forms  the  centre  of  the  promontory  province  of  Izu. 
Standing  where  we  were,  we  could  look  down  on  either 
side  into  a  deep  mountain  gorge,  and  following  the 
ravine  with  our  eye  we  could  see  where  each  opened 
into  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  right  and  the  left  of  the 
mountain  chain.  Turning  to  the  right,  Fuji  towered 
in  front  of  us,  her  sides  girdled  with  a  cloud-belt ; 
mountain  ranges  ran  parallel  on  either  side,  affording 
a  grand,  though  by  no  means  overwhelming,  pano- 
rama. We  had  now  nothing  to  do  but  to  follow  the 
ridge  westward  until  the  path  should  rapidly  descend 
to  Miya-no-Shita.  We  dismissed  our  courteous 
guide,  and  walked  for  another  hour  and  a  half  along 
the  ridge,  sometimes  wooded  and  sometimes  open. 
There  were  one  or  two  marshy  spots,  the  botany  of 
which  was  quite  novel  to  us,  and  we  found  some 
magnificent  ladies'  slipper  (Cypripedium  japonicum) 
in  full  blossom,  with  their  enormous  fan-shaped,  flat 
leaves.  It  is  very  rare,  and  the  queen  of  Japanese 
wildflowers,  as  is  our  species,  though,  alas  !  almost 
extinct,  of  the  British  flora.  It  is  a  curious 
coincidence  that,  as  Sowerby  a  hundred  years  ago 


UNIVERoITY 

•\ 


F   2 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  135 

commenced  his  great  work  on  British  botany  with  an 
illustration  of  our  ladies'  slipper,  so  the  illustrated 
history  of  the  flora  of  Japan,  begun,  I  believe,  at  an 
earlier  date,  and  reaching  to  over  a  hundred  volumes, 
of  which  the  latter  portion  are  only  in  manuscript, 
commences  with  a  beautiful  hand-coloured  represen- 
tation of  this  native  species. 

The  sun  was  setting  when  we  descended  upon  the 
road,  a  mile  or  two  from  Miya-no-Shita,  and  we  soon 
reached  our  hotel,  the  Naraya,  perched  on  a  hillside 
amongst  babbling  hot  streams  and  quaint  artificial 
gardens.  There  was  not  much  of  the  romantic 
within,  though  everything  that  could  be  desired  for 
creature-comfort.  Foreign  furniture  and  fare  at 
foreign  prices  are  already  established  in  this  great 
health-resort — the  Harrogate  of  Japan.  We  had  just 
ordered  dinner,  when  we  were  informed  that  a  young 
Japanese  gentleman  requested  an  interview,  or  rather, 
as  it  was  expressed,  '  to  hang  on  our  honourable 
eyes.'  With  much  ceremony  he  was  ushered  in,  and 
with  still  more  ceremony  explained  to  us  that  he  had 
espied  the  cypripedium  protruding  from  my  vasculum 
as  we  entered,  and  was  anxious  to  know  where  we 
had  found  it,  as  he,  too,  was  a  botanist,  and  had  been 
searching  for  it  in  vain  for  some  days.  For  the 
information  we  gave  him  and  for  a  specimen  of  the 
plant  with  root  and  bloom  he  overwhelmed  us  with 
gratitude.  This,  however,  being  one  of  the  foreign 
hotels,  it  is  patronised  by  very  few  natives,  who 
generally,  when  visiting  the  springs,  board  at  the 
many  tea-houses  in  the  villages  round. 


136  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  the  second,  and 
last,  wet  day  I  encountered  during  our  rambles.  We 
went  up  to  the  other  foreign  hotel,  where  we  found  a 
number  of  fellow-countrymen,  and,  thanks  to  the 
storm,  had  a  fairly  numerous  company  for  Divine 
Service  in  the  saloon.  Thanks  to  the  admirable 
postal  arrangements  of  the  country,  we  received  a 
large  batch  of  letters  which  had  pursued  us  from 
place  to  place.  The  postal  officials  do  not,  as  at 
home,  disfigure  the  face  of  the  letter  or  card  by  re- 
addressing it,  but  simply  write  the  next  address  on  a 
slip  of  tissue-paper,  which  is  gummed  at  the  edge  and 
folded  back  over  the  missive.  If  it  has  again  to  be 
re-addressed,  the  same  process  is  repeated,  and  thus 
1  have  a  halfpenny  post-card  with  eleven  pages  of 
address  folded  on  to  it,  one  after  another,  and  which 
reached  me  at  length  without  extra  charge. 

We  spent  a  couple  of  days  in  exploring  this  lovely 
mountain  glen.  The  charms  of  its  position  cannot  be 
spoiled  by  all  the  efforts  which  enterprising  hotel- 
keepers  are  making  to  Europeanise  it.  The  constant 
appearance  of  English  under  the  Chinese  characters 
on  the  signboards  of  the  shops,  prevalent  in  Tokio 
and  elsewhere,  extends  even  to  the  villages.  We 
came  across  some  wonderful  examples  of  '  English  as 
she  is  spoke/  For  instance,  at  the  entrance  to  the 
grounds  of  the  Naraya  Hotel  is  the  following  notice  : 
1  No  trees  and  any  flowers  permitted  to  take  off  in 
this  gardens.  No  fish  permitted  to  catch  in  this 
ponds/  A  man  in  the  village  has  a  horse  to  hire. 
On  his  signboard  is  a  drawing  of  a  man  on  horseback, 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  137 

and  below  simply  the  words,  *  Lend  horse.'  On 
another  board  I  read,  'Fujinei  Tei.  To  let,  the  above- 
named  tea-house,  on  the  top  of  this  hill.  There 
mount  Fuji  on  the  up  and  island  Enoshima  on  the 
down  can  be  seen  when  weather  is  most  splendidly. 
Leader,  0-Muga  '  (leader  being  Japanese  English  for 
owner  or  agent).  Over  a  parcels  delivery  office  near 
a  station  in  Tokio  was  the  following  :  '  Before  station 
send  at  home  and  every  state.' 

After  the  rain  the  sun  seemed  rapidly  to  bring  out 
the  butterflies  and  to  unfold  the  fern-fronds,  the 
search  for  which  gave  zest  to  our  rambles  through 
these  highland-like  glens,  affording  continual  change 
of  landscape  and  partial  peeps  of  Fuji  San.  But 
however  many  hours  we  wandered,  the  natural  hot 
bath  on  our  return  would  reinvigorate  the  most 
wearied.  One  noticed  the  change  of  colour  each  day, 
as  the  trees  rushed  out  into  foliage  under  the  glowing 
sunshine,  and  the  reeking  moisture  of  the  recent  rain- 
fall. One  gentleman  declared  that  he  measured  a 
young  bamboo  before  going  in  to  breakfast,  and  after 
breakfast.  It  had  meanwhile  reached  another  button 
of  his  waistcoat ;  and  I  quite  believe  him.  My 
daughter,  however,  was  inclined  to  suspect  that  he 
had  changed  his  shoes  for  a  thicker  pair  in  the 
meantime  ! 

No  one  can  leave  Miya-no-Shita  with  as  little 
luggage  as  he  entered  it,  for  the  village  street  is 
simply  one  long  bazaar  of  open  shops  for  the  sale,  not 
only  of  old  armour,  antiques,  and  photographs,  but 
more  especially  of  every  kind  of  small  wooden  article, 


OF 

UNIV ! 
V 


138  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

mostly  inlaid,  the  manufacture  of  which  is  the  indus- 
try of  the  districts,  and  which  far  surpass  in  finish, 
elegance,  and  ingenuity  the  choicest  productions  of 
Nice  or  Tunbridge  Wells.  They  are  all  made  from 
the  different  woods  of  the  country,  and  at  prices  the 
modesty  of  which  would  shock  the  tradesmen  of 
Switzerland.  The  winsome  importunity  and  gracious 
address  of  those  who  sell  them  as  you  pass  their 
booths  are  far  more  irresistible  than  the  deafening 
advertisements  and  gesticulations  of  an  Egyptian  or 
Syrian  bazaar. 

But  we  must  quit  the  luxuries  of  Miya-no-Shita 
if  we  would  see  the  natural  wonders  and  beauties  of 
the  mountain  region  around.  With  far  less  trouble 
than  we  should  have  had  at  home  in  a  similar 
arrangement,  after  reducing  our  impedimenta  to  a 
hold-all  apiece,  a  frame  of  botanical  paper,  and  a 
satchel,  all  which  could  easily  be  carried  by  one 
man,  we  despatched  our  heavier  luggage  by  two 
kuruma  men  to  the  nearest  station,  to  be  forwarded 
to  Gotemba,  which  we  hoped  to  reach  in  a  few  days, 
the  men  giving  us  a  receipt,  on  the  production  of 
which  we  received  our  luggage  some  days  after 
without  the  slightest  difficulty. 

Our  first  day's  march  was  to  the  famous  sacred 
village  of  Hakone,  on  the  edge  of  a  mountain  lake, 
some  eight  miles  distant  over  a  mountain  path,  taking 
with  us  a  man  as  porter  and  guide.  However,  he 
soon  got  so  impatient  at  the  time  spent  over  plants 
and  butterflies,  which  latter  generally  gave  us  the 
slip  in  the  thick  bush,  that  he  declared  he  must 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  141 

have  double  pay  if  we  kept  him  back.  As  we  were 
not  afraid  now  of  losing  our  way,  we  let  him  go  on. 
We  were  reminded  that  Japan  has  already  become 
a  hunting-ground  of  globe-trotters  by  meeting  no 
less  than  three  parties  of  Englishmen,  most  of 
whom  were  sensible  enough  to  be  pedestrians,  though 
three,  who  ought  to  have  remained  in  Pall  Mall, 
were  being  carried  down  the  hill  in  kagos,  the  native 
sedan  chair,  a  mode  of  conveyance  that  we  felt  was 
only  pardonable  in  the  case  of  delicate  ladies.  The 
hills  on  either  side  were  bare  and  volcanic,  and  the 
mass  of  dwarf  bamboo  through  which  our  path  lay 
very  monotonous.  But  every  now  and  then,  at  a 
turn  in  the  track,  a  dainty  little  tea-house  would 
arrest  us,  and  we  could  no  more  pass  one  without 
expending  a  farthing  on  a  cup  of  tea,  than  a  toper 
could  resist  a  public  at  the  corner.  Ashi-no-Yu  was 
our  halfway  house,  a  village  of  bathing-houses  and 
native  hotels  for  the  hot  sulphur  springs.  The 
valley  here  reeked  with  sulphur  smoke  ;  the  atmo- 
sphere was  impregnated  with  it.  There  was  not  a 
trace  of  vegetation,  save  the  skeletons  of  trees,  and 
the  spiraeas,  hydrangeas,  and  violets,  which  had 
relieved  the  monotony  of  the  bamboo  thickets,  had 
all  disappeared.  We  were  not  tempted  to  bathe 
after  what  we  saw  of  the  publicity  of  the  ablutions. 
On  the  road  beyond  we  passed  a  colossal  Buddha  in 
an  apse  cut  out  of  the  basalt  cliff ;  the  figure,  a  very 
beautiful  one,  is  simply  carved,  along  with  the  lotus- 
flower  on  which  the  prophet  sits,  out  of  the  native 
rock,  which  has  also  been  cut  away  behind  it.  It  is 


142  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

indeed  a  grand  work,  marvellously  impressive  on  the 
lonely,  desolate  mountain-side.  Eows  of  smaller 
Buddhas  lined  the  short  avenue  to  the  shrine,  but 
there  is  no  temple  or  human  habitation  within  sight. 

There  is  an  old  tale  connected  with  the  little 
stream  below,  which  may  be  worth  repeating.  A 
nobleman  travelling  by  night  let  ten  rin  (equal  to 
a  halfpenny)  drop  out  of  his  tinder-case  into  the 
water,  and  then  spent  fifty  rin  in  torches  to  recover 
the  lost  piece  of  money.  When  his  friends  laughed 
at  him  for  spending  five  times  as  much  to  recover 
what  he  had  lost,  he  retorted  :  '  Gentlemen,  you 
are  very  foolish,  and  do  not  understand  political 
economy.  You  have  no  feeling  of  benevolence.  If 
I  had  not  searched  for  the  ten-rin  piece,  it  would 
have  been  for  ever  lost,  sunk  at  the  bottom  of  the 
stream.  Now,  the  fifty  rin  which  I  have  spent  on 
torches  will  remain  in  circulation  among  the  trades- 
men. It  is  no  matter  whether  they,  or  I,  or  some  one 
else  has  them,  but  not  a  single  one  of  this  sixty  rin 
has  been  lost,  and  this  is  a  clear  gain  to  the  nation.' 
We  see  that  political  economy — whether  it  be  in 
accordance  with  Adam  Smith  or  not,  I  do  not  say— 
is  no  new  science  to  Japan. 

Soon  after  passing  the  image  and  stream  we  had 
our  first  glimpse  of  the  mountain  lake  and  the 
picturesque  Hakone  village  at  its  head,  with  a  fine 
cryptomeria  avenue  for  the  last  mile  of  the  way. 
The  hotel  proved  to  be  a  Japanese  house  attempting 
to  ape  English  ways,  and  with  English  prices  spoilt 
by  tourists.  However,  we  had  a  pleasant  airy  room 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  143 

and  wide  balcony  for  the  daytime,  with  the  finest  of 
mat  floors,  divided  into  three  by  paper  walls  for  our 
bedrooms,  the  beds  being  made  on  the  floor.  Native 
so-called  beds — that  is,  the  soft,  clean  mat,  and 
futon,  or  wadded  quilt — are  most  welcome  after  a 
hard  day's  walk,  but  on  native  wood  pillows  I 
never  could  rest  my  head.  To  attempt  it  suggested 
instantaneously  the  thought  of  King  Charles  on  the 
block,  with  the  head  ready  to  roll  off  on  the  other 
side. 

I  fear  I  shall  sink  in  the  estimation  of  those  of 
my  readers  for  whom  conchology  has  no  charms  when 
I  confess  that  our  first  expedition  was  a  stroll  along 
the  edge  of  the  lake  in  search  of  freshwater  shells 
among  the  scanty  patches  of  reeds  which  occasionally 
fringe  it,  and  amongst  which  we  waded  in  black 
mud.  I  was  stimulated  to  this  by  one  of  the  young 
Englishmen  whom  we  had  met  in  the  morning,  who 
assured  me  he  had  found  on  the  beach  of  the  lake 
a  freshwater  shell  identical  with  the  Melania  of  the 
Sea  of  Galilee.  We  succeeded  in  collecting  various 
species,  amongst  them  the  one  alluded  to,  but  found, 
as  one  often  does,  that  similarity  is  not  identity. 
We  returned  in  time  to  watch  the  evening  sun  from 
our  balcony,  which  soon  set  behind  Fuji.  The  effect 
was  grand,  for  the  sky  was  cloudless ;  and  though 
Fuji  must  yield  the  palm  to  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe,  I 
never  there  saw  finer  sunset  colouring.  We  saw  it 
white,  rosy  blush,  pink,  and  finally,  just  at  sunset, 
the  snowdad  mountain,  with  the  sun  exactly  behind 
it,  looked  deep  black  in  a  pale  golden  setting. 


US* 

UJSTI 


144  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

The  Hakone  lake  is,  so  far  as  we  can  learn,  of 
unknown  depth.  It  is,  in  fact,  an  enormous  moun- 
tain tarn  over  5,000  feet  above  the  sea-level.  It  is 
curious  that,  with  the  exception  of  one  very  small 
outlet  at  the  north  end,  there  are  no  streams  from  it. 
On  the  plain  below  are  few  or  no  natural  streams, 
and  it  is  said  that  many  centuries  ago  the  mountain 
wall  was  tunnelled  by  manual  labour,  and  the  upper 
waters  tapped,  and  from  the  rocky  sluices  flows  a 
flood  sufficient  to  irrigate  millions  of  acres  of  the 
Suruga  province  ;  and  this  enables  the  inhabitants  to 
raise  the  vast  quantities  of  rice  on  which  the  country 
is  dependent  for  its  very  existence.  Water,  and  a 
sufficient  supply  of  it  to  immerse  the  fields  either  ,-it 
once  or  in  compartments,  is  the  first  necessity  of  the 
rice-farmer.  As  rice  must  be  sown,  transplanted,  and 
grown  under  water,  immense  areas  of  irrigated  fields 
are  necessary.  A  proof  of  the  very  early  civilisation 
of  Japan  is  found  in  the  stupendous  tunnels  and 
the  dams  by  which  the  mountain  streams  have  been 
blocked  for  the  purpose  of  irrigating  the  lower  plains, 
and  by  which  the  noisy,  foaming  torrents  have 
been  changed  into  silent  and  useful,  if  unromantic, 
servants.  These  huge  reservoirs  are  tapped  when 
required,  and  conveyed,  often  for  miles,  along  arti- 
ficial canals  or  ditches,  each  field  securing  a  supply  as 
the  stream  passes,  by  little  locks  ;  whilst  in  the  lower 
plains  tread  wheels  are  used  to  pump  the  water  on  to 
each  compartment.  All  this  is  regulated  by  law 
most  rigidly  enforced.  To  steal  a  neighbour's  water 
was  formerly  a  capital  offence. 


THE  HAKONE  LAKE,   FIVE  THOUSAND   FEET  ABOVE   SEA-LEVEL. 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  147 

Just  on  the  right  hand  of  our  hotel  a  little 
peninsula  runs  out  into  the  lake,  on  which  is  a 
modest  though  extensive  building,  one  of  the  country 
palaces  of  the  emperor,  and  which  he  generally 
visits  for  a  fortnight  in  summer.  The  grounds  had 

O  o 

only  recently  been  laid  out,  and  their  beauty  was 
future,  not  present.  However,  unlike  the  Egyptian 
Khedive,  the  Mikado  of  Japan  refuses  to  waste  his 
subjects'  money  on  imperial  residences.  Thus  he 
declined,  shortly  after  the  beginning  of  the  present 
war,  to  have  a  palace  built  for  his  reception  at 
Hiroshima.  By  his  refusal  he  intensified  the  enthu- 
siastic loyalty  of  his  people. 

From  our  lake  dwelling  at  Hakone,  for  such  in  the 
full  sense  our  pile-supported  chalet  was,  we  made  an 
early  start  to  the  other  end  of  the  lake,  a  row  of 
about  six  miles,  with  Fuji  in  front  the  whole  way. 
The  scenery  of  the  upper  end  of  the  lake  was  much 
bolder  than  at  the  lower,  the  pine  forest  coming  down 
to  the  water's  edge,  many  of  the  peeps  recalling 
Derwentwater.  Our  goal  was  Gotemba,  a  little  town 
from  which  we  planned  to  explore  Fuji  and  its 
neighbourhood,  and  we -took  with  us  a  Hakone  man 
with  a  long  bamboo  to  carry  our  baggage.  We 
stepped  on  shore  from  our  boat,  prepared  for  a 
twenty  miles'  mountain  walk,  with  a  delightful  sense 
of  independence. 

As  we  wound  up  the  narrow  path  we  very  soon  lost 
all  traces  of  forest,  and  rapidly  reached  a  succes- 
sion of  rolling  downs,  bare  and  desolate  but  for  a  few 
unwholesome-looking  tufts  of  rush.  We  were  here 

L  2 


148  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

quite  out  of  the  usual  tourists'  beat,  and  at  a  tea- 
house at  the  top  of  the  first  bare  ridge — for  whatever 
else  there  is  not,  there  is  everywhere  a  tea-house— 
we  prudently  provisioned  ourselves  for  the  day  with 
two  parcels  of  cold  boiled  rice,  and  half  a  dozen  hard- 
boiled  eggs.  After  passing  through  some  weary 
bamboo  scrub  we  reached  Ubago,  a  collection  of  hotels 
and  hot  sulphur  water  baths,  and  the  whole  air 
saturated  with  sulphur.  The  baths  are  long  buildings 
of  one  storey  round  squares,  with  the  steaming  baths 
open  in  front,  each  tenanted  by  naked  bathers  of  both 
sexes  sitting  promiscuously  in  the  hot  water,  open  to 
all  passers-by.  In  this  respect  there  is  certainly  a 
want  of  decency  in  Japan,  but  it  is,  so  far  as  I  saw, 
an  exception ;  for,  taken  on  the  whole,  there  is  less 
to  be  seen  that  offends  one's  sense  of  delicacy  and 
propriety  in  Japan  than  in  any  other  Eastern  country 
I  have  visited. 

After  resting  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  on  a  mat,  of 
course  sipping  green  tea,  we  started  up  a  steep  path, 
through  forest  with  an  undergrowth  of  sweet-scented 
white  dwarf  daphne,  which  perfumed  the  surrounding 
atmosphere.  There  was  also  a  dwarf  pyrus,  with 
brilliant  red  bloom  ;  quantities  of  an  orchid,  promising 
to  be  a  gigantic  cypripedium,  but  which  does  not 
flower  till  July,  and  various  other  to  us  botanic 
novelties.  Crossing  the  next  ridge,  we  found  our- 
selves in  a  steep  desolate  valley,  with  ash-heap, 
sulphur  hillocks,  steam  holes,  and  roaring  boiling 
water  tumbling  under  the  crust  upon  which  we  trod, 
altogether  a  weird  scene  of  desolation,  for  here  there 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  151 

are  no  sulphur  plants  like  those  which  characterise 
the  similar  sulphuric  springs  and  deposits  of  Callirrhoe 
in  the  land  of  Moab.  It  is  called  Ojigoku,  or  the 
Great  Hell,  but  was  named  last  year,  in  honour  of 
the  emperor's  visit,  Owa  kidani,  or  the  valley  of  the 
great  boiling.  Both  names  are  well-earned.  It  was 
a  splendid  opportunity  for  investigating  volcanic 
phenomena  on  a  small  scale,  but  we  were  repeatedly 
cautioned  by  our  guide  to  beware  where  we  trod,  as 
more  than  one  traveller  have  lost  their  lives  through 
the  edges  of  the  thin  crust,  which  is  cracked  in  every 
direction,  and  sometimes  has  wide  fissures. 

We  reached  another  crest,  and  lo,  a  complete  trans- 
formation scene.  In  place  of  the  sulphurous  deso- 
lation and  mephitic  steam,  we  found  an  almost 
obliterated  track,  under  thickets  of  deutzia,  azalea, 
and  other  flowering  shrubs  of  every  colour,  the  azaleas 
predominating.  The  flora  of  this  neighbourhood  is 
in  many  respects  very  peculiar,  containing  many 
plants  which  we  never  found  elsewhere.  Another 
crest  to  cross,  and  we  had  to  brush  through  bamboo 
brake,  and  across  a  flat  valley  for  three  miles,  highly 
cultivated  and  studded  with  villages,  till  we  faced  a 
wooded  and  apparently  perpendicular  mountain. 

How  were  we  to  get  up  ?  '  There,'  replies  our 
coolie,  as  he  rests  the  pole  with  his  burden  cleverly 
balanced  on  his  long  bamboo  alpenstock.  '  Not 
promising/  and  we  looked  at  each  other,  and  zigzagged 
up  the  side  by  a  series  of  sloping  notches  cut  in  the 
cliff.  However,  when  we  at  length  reached  the 
summit  of  the  Otomi  Toge  Pass  we  were  rewarded  for 


152  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

all  our  scramble.  Standing  on  the  ridge  we  could,  at 
the  same  moment,  look  over  the  plain  we  had  crossed 
an  hour  before  into  the  lake  shining  at  its  further 
end,  and  on  the  other  side  over  the  range,  the  vast 
plain  through  which  the  Tokaido  runs,  stretching 
unbroken  to  the  slopes  of  Fuji,  which  stood  out  in 
undimmed  splendour  without  a  cloud,  his  snow  gilded 
by  the  afternoon  sun.  Straight  ahead  were  the 
snow-capped  granite  peaks  of  the  provinces  of  Hida 
and  Echu.  The  plain,  thick  with  villages,  coppices, 
fields,  avenues,  and  trees  of  all  sorts,  looked  more  like 
Kent  or  Surrey  than  Japan  as  I  had  yet  seen  it.  And 
this  impression  of  its  English  character  was  soon  inten- 
sified when,  gaily  tripping  down  the  mountain  side, 
my  daughter  said  she  had  never  before  trod  on  turf  all 
the  years  she  had  been  in  Japan.  We  were  delighted 
with  the  tall,  pale,  purple  daisy — at  least  it  seemed 
to  me  a  true  Bellis,  but,  if  not,  was  certainly  an  aster 
very  like  it,  met  with  by  us  here  for  the  first  time, 
and  which  covers  the  whole  meadow-like  slopes. 

This  was  the  first  district  I  had  found  where  sheep 
might  be  reared,  for  there  is  no  dwarf  bamboo,  as 
there  is  everywhere  else,  a  plant  which  is  fatal  to 
pasturing  sheep,  and  which  is  a  simple  explanation  of 
their  absence  in  the  country.  At  the  little  tea-house 
on  the  top  where  we  were  glad  to  rest,  we  met 
several  fellow-countrymen  who  had  come  in  the  other 
direction  with  kagos  or  chairs,  and  who  did  not 
exchange  salutations  with  mere  pedestrians.  I  took 
the  opportunity  of  skinning  a  curious  little  black 
shrew  mouse  with  a  bushy  tail  which  I  had  obtained 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  153 

in  the  bamboo  brake.  When  we  had  reached  the 
bottom  of  the  range,  we  were  rather  disappointed  to 
find  that  we  had  still  more  than  four  miles  to  walk  ; 
yet  who  could  be  tired  as  we  trod  those  narrow 
Devonshire  lanes,  ceaselessly  using  our  butterfly-net 
under  the  long  hedges  of  camellia,  the  falling  crimson 
blooms  of  which  absolutely  smothered  the  smooth 
path  which  they  overhung  ?  In  fact,  here  the 
camellia  took  the  place  of  the  hawthorn,  and  the 
azaleas  of  the  apple  trees  of  Southern  England.  At 
length  we  came  upon  Gotemba,  which  is  one  long 
street,  along  which  we  trudged  for  more  than  a  mile 
before  we  found  quarters  at  a  thoroughly  native  inn, 
exquisitely  clean  as  usual,  but  without  a  solitary 
chair  or  table.  We  inquired  their  charges,  and  after 
a  little  bargaining  closed  for  a  yen  and  a  half,  or 
five  shillings,  a  day  for  the  two  of  us,  including  three 
native  meals,  as  well  as  apartments  and  attendance. 
On  asking  for  a  hot  bath,  I  was  ushered  to  one  in  the 
large  kitchen,  in  which  a  man  was  already  stewing, 
and  created  much  surprise  by  my  fastidiousness  in 
declining  to  share  the  bath  with  him,  though  I  was 
assured  there  was  room  for  two  in  it ! 

Eleven  hours  on  foot  made  us  thoroughly  appreciate 
our  couches,  though  they  were  only  the  mat-flooring, 
with  futons  under  and  over  us,  and  others  rolled 
up  for  a  pillow.  We  slept  well  in  spite  of  the 
noises,  for  the  hotel  was  extensive,  and  there  was 
only  a  sliding  paper  wall  between  the  rooms,  while 
visitors  seemed  to  be  coming  and  going  throughout 
the  night.  I  was  aroused  during  my  first  sleep  by 


154  RAMBLES   IN  JAPAN 

the  visit  of  a  policeman,  who,  having  heard  that 
foreigners  had  arrived,  hurriedly  came  to  examine 
our  passport,  and  insisted  upon  seeing  my  daughter, 
from  whom  he  wanted  explanations  as  to  how  or  why 
we  had  such  an  unusually  extensive  one.  When  his 
curiosity  and  scruples  were  satisfied,  he  was  of  course 
effusive  in  his  politeness.  His  visit  reminded  me  of 
two  things  which  I  have  often  observed  in  Japan— 
their  absolute  indifference  to  times  and  seasons,  and 
the  amusing  self-importance  of  the  little  officials,  far 
superior  to  Bumbledom  at  home.  If  a  message  has 
to  be  delivered,  whether  unimportant  or  not,  the 
time  of  day  matters  not.  If  the  mail  has  arrived  and 
the  postman  is  up,  he  will  rouse  you  to  deliver  letters 
at  2  A.M.,  especially  if  one  of  them  is  registered  and 
must  be  receipted  with  ink,  and  you  happen  to  have 
no  ink  in  your  bedroom.  In  red  tape  they  surpass 
France  and  equal  Eussia.  A  friend  of  mine  was 
travelling  with  a  passport  which  authorised  him  to 
visit  certain  places  in  a  particular  order.  He  wished 
to  vary  this  order,  which  had  been  filled  in  without 
his  being  consulted,  but  was  informed  in  a  certain 
town  that  he  must  go  west  rather  than  east,  as  he 
wished.  Expostulation  was  in  vain,  but  after  waiting 
a  few  days,  when  the  officials  saw  he  was  an  awkward 
customer  who  intended  to  hold  firm,  they  informed 
him,  that  though  it  was  their  duty  to  compel  him  to 
leave  the  city  by  the  west  road,  yet  after  pursuing 
it  for  a  mile  or  two  he  would  find  a  cross-country 
path  which  would  take  him  in  the  other  direction. 
As  an  instance  of  the  Japanese  love  of  keeping  to 


THE    HAKONE    LAKE  155 

the  letter  of  the  law,  the  following  may  be  quoted. 
A  certain  bridge  was  found  unsafe  for  heavy 
traffic,  though  still  available  as  a  foot-bridge,  and  a 
notice  was  accordingly  posted,  *  No  animals  allowed 
to  cross  this  bridge.'  After  a  time  a  formal  com- 
plaint was  made  that  it  was  impossible  to  insist  on 
this  order  being  obeyed,  for  rats  would  still  continue 
to  cross.  A  solemn  conclave  was  held,  at  which  it 
was  decided  that  it  was  impossible  to  prevent  the 
rats  having  their  free  course,  and  yet  that  dis- 
obedience to  an  official  edict  was  not  to  be  tolerated, 
and  therefore  the  wording  of  the  notice  was  altered 
to  run,  eNo  large  animal  allowed  to  cross  this  bridge.' 
Even  then  the  malcontents  were  not  quite  satisfied, 
for  where  was  the  line  to  be  drawn  between  large  and 
small  animals  ? 

At  Gotemba,  as  at  all  Japanese  inns,  the  bill  of 
fare  varies  not  for  breakfast,  dinner,  and  supper. 
We  had  fish  soup  in  a  little  lacquer  basin,  the  float- 
ing bits  of  fish  having  to  be  caught  with  chopsticks — 
to  a  raw  hand  like  myself  quite  as  serious  an  affair 
as  the  original  capture  in  the  stream.  Perhaps 
another  kind  of  soup,  made  with  seaweed,  vege- 
tables, or  dried  fish,  might  come  instead.  There 
were  green  pickles  in  a  lacquer  saucer ;  raw  eggs, 
probably  having  been  kept  long  enough  to  have  a 
flavour,  a  fresh  egg  being  considered  very  insipid. 
When  near  the  coast  we  should  have  had  varieties 
of  shell-fish,  sea-urchins,  and  half-cooked  octopus,  or 
sea-fish.  But  here  these  were  represented  by  delicious 
mountain  trout,  nicely  baked.  To  such  condiments 


156  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

at  a  wedding-feast  or  at  the  new  year  would  be  added 
a  lobster,  emblematic  of  long  life,  with  the  wish, 
'  May  you  live  to  such  an  age  that  your  back  is  as 
bent  as  a  lobster's  ! '  All  these  are  served  to  each 
person  on  a  small  square  lacquer  tray,  with  feet  a 
few  inches  high.  In  front  of  us  was  always  placed  a 
small  wooden  tub  with  a  lid,  filled  with  steaming  rice, 
and  served  with  a  flat  wooden  ladle,  not  unlike  a 
painter's  spatula,  with  which  each  from  time  to  time 
refilled  at  pleasure  the  little  rice  bowl.  As  all  the 
dishes  are  served  on  the  little  trays  at  once,  the  chief 
duty  of  the  waitress  is  to  keep  the  rice-bowl  supplied; 
in  fact,  rice  is  the  substitute  not  only  for  bread,  but 
practically  for  all  our  food  save  meat  and  vegetables. 

There  are  no  sweets  at  the  regular  meals,  but  green 
tea  always  follows,  and,  if  specially  ordered,  sake, 
served  hot  in  a  long-necked  porcelain  flask.  This 
sake  is  prepared  from  rice  malt  with  very  little  hops, 
and  resembles  much  the  heavy  muddy  beer  of  an  in- 
ferior country  public-house.  Cold,  it  is  certainly  not 
palatable,  and  when  hot  only  tolerable  to  my  taste. 

More  difficult  than  the  management  of  chopsticks, 
at  which  I  soon  became  a  tolerable  adept,  was  the 
sitting  on  the  floor  to  eat,  and  I  never  during  my 
sojourn  succeeded  in— I  will  not  say  gracefully,  but 
even  in  any  way  with  ease  or  comfort — accommo- 
dating myself  to  the  native  habits  in  this  respect, 
and  soon  began  to  feel  that  a  room  furnished  with 
but  one  chair  and  table  was  a  luxurious  one.  If  I 
rolled  up  a  futon  and  sat  on  it  my  tray  was  far 
below  me,  and  either  a  more  supple  back  or  chop- 


PILGRIM  GOING  UP  FUJILAMA. 


THE    HAKONE   LAKE  159 

sticks  of  abnormal  length  were  needed ;  or  if  I 
reversed  the  order  of  things  and  mounted  my  dinner 
tray  on  this  temporary  seat,  what  was  I  to  do  on  the 
floor  with  my  aching  legs,  that  refused  to  be  tucked 
under  me,  as  those  of  my  little  Japanese  friends  have 
learned  to  be  from  babyhood  ? 

Though  the  ascent  of  Fuji  at  this  early  season 
of  the  year  was  impossible,  we  determined  to  reach 
the  forest  which  covers  its  lower  slopes  and  penetrate 
as  far  as  the  snow  would  permit  us.  We  made  an 
early  start  for  the  foot  of  the  mountain  in  jinrikshas, 
or,  as  they  are  more  properly  in  Japan  called,  kuru- 
mas,  zigzagging  for  several  miles  through  narrow 
lanes  with  camellia  hedges  laden  with  bloom.  At 
length  we  emerged  from  this  Kentish  scenery  into 
paddy  fields,  crossing  countless  little  brooks,  fed  by 
the  mountain  snow,  hardly  deep  enough  to  be  called 
dells,  but  the  sides  of  which  were  clad  with  over- 
hanging azaleas,  red,  white,  yellow,  purple,  and  pink, 
and  many  other  choice  shrubs,  while  the  black  water 
ousel,  the  representative  of  the  familiar  dipper  of  our 
northern  streams,  darted  up  and  down  the  brook,  or 
briskly  jerked  his  tail  as  he  lighted  on  a  stone  in  the 
water.  The  farmers  were  busy  preparing  the  fields 
for  planting  out  the  rice.  Rice-growing  is  toil  indeed, 
and  has  passed  into  a  Japanese  proverb  for  hard  or 
weary  labour.  Men  were  wading  knee-deep  in  the 
black  mud,  leading  horses  or  oxen  attached  to  a 
long  rake,  which  does  duty  for  a  plough,  and  pounds 
the  soaked  clods  until  the  whole  becomes  reduced  to 
the  consistency  of  pea  soup,  and  is  then  ready  for  the 


160  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

young  plants.  Ascending  from  the  rice  fields,  the 
road  and  soil  were  alike  formed  of  black  volcanic  ash 
like  a  Durham  pit-heap. 

Arrived  at  Subashiri,  the  last  village  before  the 
ascent,  we  found  the  place  en  fete,  and  had  the 
opportunity  of  seeing  at  our  leisure  the  humours  of 
a  Japanese  country  fair. 

The  village  is  a  long  one,  over  half  a  mile,  and 
at  the  upper  end  terminates  in  a  Shinto  temple, 
embowered  in  dense  cryptomeria  grove  and  avenue. 
The  main  street  is  wide,  and  planted  with  flowering 
trees  on  both  sides.  Between  these,  bamboo  tops 
with  their  feathery  foliage  had  been  set  all  along, 
fastened  with  long  lines  of  twine,  and  covered  like 
a  Christmas-tree  with  bits  of  red  and  white  paper. 
All  the  women  and  children  were  in  their  bright 
holiday  dresses ;  the  streets  were  lined  with  the 
stalls  of  vendors  of  all  kinds  of  goods,  from  large 
mats  to  dolls'  clothes.  Cheapjacks  were  advertising 
their  wares  ;  some  strolling  players  had  a  platform 
mounted  on  rollers,  and  were  performing  free  gratis  ; 
on  a  more  elevated  stage  pretty  dancing  girls  were 
performing  a  Japanese  opera  and  ballet  combined  ; 
crowds  of  country  folk,  with  bales  of  rice  straw  and 
mats,  as  well  as  all  kinds  of  farm  produce  to  sell, 
combined  business  with  pleasure.  There  were  penny 
peeps  for  one  rin  (one-tenth  of  a  halfpenny) ;  a  grand 
model  of  Fuji  on  a  barrow ;  Punch  whacking  Judy 
exactly  as  he  does  elsewhere,  and  Toby  by  his  side. 
There  were  more  horses  assembled  than  I  had  yet 
seen  in  Japan.  It  was  indeed  the  village  feast  of 


THE    HAKONE    LAKE  161 

the  olden  time,  with  all  the  quaint  Japanese  sur- 
roundings. Paper  lanterns  lined  the  avenue  to  the 
temple  preparatory  for  a  great  illumination  at  night. 
Here  we  found  a  grand  service  proceeding.  The 
Shinto  priests  vest  and  revest  in  public,  and  con- 
tinually change  their  coloured  stoles,  There  was  an 
empty  shrine,  with  the  two  long  strips  of  cut  white 
paper  hanging  in  front.  The  ritual  was  very  moderate, 
but  we  were  unable  to  understand  the  chantings  and 
recitations  of  which  the  service,  performed  by  the 
priests  alone,  consisted. 

At  lunch  in  the  village  inn  fresh  mountain  trout 
and  egg  soup  were  welcome  delicacies,  and  in  con- 
sideration for  our  foreign  weakness  our  hostess  found 
two  chairs,  which  were  indeed  appreciated.  From 
the  village  in  the  afternoon  we  wandered  on  over 
volcanic  ashes  through  a  thin  wood,  and  then  for 
two  hours  mounted  through  the  forest.  I  got  near 
the  edge  of  the  snow-line,  or  at  least  to  the  snow 
lying  under  the  pine  trees  as  yet  untouched  by  the 
spring  sun,  and  in  a  small  open  space  in  the 
middle  of  the  forest,  filled  with  flowering  shrubs  and 
entirely  secluded,  had  a  splendid  opportunity  for 
watching  some  of  the  rarest  birds  of  Japan  and 
noting  their  habits.  It  seemed  to  be  the  rendezvous 
of  song-birds,  as  I  sat  completely  concealed  by 
the  foliage  of  an  evergreen  shrub.  The  beautiful 
narcissus  flycatcher  took  its  perch  on  a  twig  within 
a  yard  of  my  head ;  the  Siberian  blue-tail,  and,  best 
of  all,  the  lovely  Japanese  waxwing,  fearlessly  hopped 
about  in  pursuit  of  the  small  butterflies  ;  the  Siberian 

M 


iran 


162  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

blackbird  with  its  white  belly,  and  the  black  and 
white  ousel  (Merula  cardis)  perched  at  the  opposite 
end  of  the  opening,  entered  as  competitors  in  a 
singing  match,  while  many  a  warbler  whistled  and 
titmouse  chirped  unseen.  It  was  an  hour's  ornitho- 
logical education  such  as  I  have  rarely  had,  and 
though  I  was  not  able  to  pay  my  respects  to  the 
Lady  of  Fuji  in  her  crater  at  the  summit,  as  every 
pilgrim  ought,  I  was  amply  rewarded  by  the  fruits 
of  my  pilgrimage. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  as  we  have  retained 
the  ancient  British  names  of  our  rivers  and  of  many  of 
our  hills,  so  the  name  of  Fuji  has  no  meaning  in  the 
vernacular,  but  is  kindred  to  the  Ainu  word  for  fire 
mountain,  handed  down  from  the  time  when  the 
aboriginal  Ainu  inhabited  the  land.  It  is  held  to  be 
the  residence  of  a  goddess,  Fuji-sen-gen,  and  is, 
therefore,  a  sacred  mountain  and  place  of  pilgrimage. 
The  legend  says  that  Fuji  arose  in  a  night,  and  that 
at  the  same  time  Lake  Biwa  was  hollowed  out,  and 
tradition  adds  that  this  was  about  the  year  330  B.C. 
There  are  historic  records  of  eruptions  from  799  A.D., 
and  the  last  of  any  importance  was  in  1707  A.D., 
when  the  hump  on  the  south  side  of  the  mountain 
was  formed.  In  this  eruption  Tokio  itself  was  covered 
with  six  inches  of  ashes.  At  present  the  only  sign 
of  activity  is  a  little  steam  and  smoke  from  cracks 
close  to  the  crater  on  the  side  facing  Subashiri.  We 
only  ascended  about  4000  feet,  but  the  forest  and 
thicket  extend  3000  feet  higher. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  quickness  and  imitative 


THE   HAKONE   LAKE  163 

powers  of  the  people,  I  may  mention  an  incident  of 
this  day's  ramble.  I  had  been  followed  to  the  forest 
by  two  men,  who  always  kept  me  in  view.  It  seems 
that  one  of  them  had  learned  from  our  kuruma  men 
that  we  had  been  butterfly-hunting.  They  had 
followed  our  example,  but  were  too  shy  to  accost 
us,  though  they  told  our  men.  When  invited,  they 
summoned  courage  at  last  to  come  to  me,  and  offered 
me  about  a  dozen  butterflies  which  they  had  caught, 
and  folded  in  triangular  bits  of  paper,  exactly  as  I 
had  done.  They  gracefully  offered  me  the  fruits  of 
their  chase,  and  when  I  accepted  and  thanked  them, 
giving  them  a  two-sen  piece,  they  beamed  with 
delight,  and  we  each  bowed  to  the  ground.  The 
men  evidently  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  gratifying  a 
stranger. 

Another  instance  of  graceful  courtesy.  At  a 
little  farmhouse,  as  we  were  returning  in  the 
evening,  the  blaze  of  azaleas  and  the  neatness  of  a 
garden  arrested  us  for  a  moment.  As  we  stopped  to 
admire,  an  old  woman  came  out  and  insisted  on  filling 
my  daughter's  arms  with  gorgeous  branches  of  bloom. 
She  reciprocated  by  handing  a  picture-card  and  a 
tract,  and  we  discovered  that  the  woman  was  a 
Christian,  and  cousin  of  one  of  our  kuruma  men. 


M  2 


164  BAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 


CHAPTER  V 

NAGOYA 

THE  next  day  we  took  the  train  from  Gotemba  to 
Nagoya,  176  miles  further  on,  and  the  fourth  city  of 
Japan  in  population,  350,000,  a  principal  seat  of  the 
porcelain  manufacture.  Here  the  Canadian  branch 
of  our  Church  has  a  mission,  supported  by  Wylif 
College,  Toronto.  The  journey  was  accomplished  in 
eight  hours,  through  a  rich,  fertile  plain,  the  most 
extensive  in  the  country,  thickly  peopled  and  well- 
wooded.  Part  of  our  route  lay  close  to  the  sea,  and 
we  crossed  the  mouths  of  two  rivers,  wide  and  shallow, 
by  trestle  bridges,  each  nearly  a  mile  long.  We  had 
among  our  fellow-passengers  Bishop  Bickersteth,  who 
was  going  on  beyond  us.  We  had  also  in  our  carriage 
a  native  lady  of  very  winning  and  refined  appearance, 
who  soon  introduced  herself  to  my  daughter  as  a 
Christian  from  Osaka.  Three  officers  also  entered 
the  carriage,  one  of  whom,  a  very  gentlemanly  man, 
the  head  of  the  police  at  Nagoya,  spoke  English,  and 
told  me  he  knew  our  missionaries  there.  He  told  me 
he  felt  very  much  complimented  by  finding  that  I 
smoked  the  light  tobacco  of  the  country,  which,  he 
said,  most  foreigners  despised.  At  a  roadside  station 
luncheon  boxes  were  purchased.  For  ten  sen,  that 
is  fivepence,  I  had  handed  to  me  a  beautifully-made 


NAGOYA  165 

oblong  chip  box  with  a  lid,  full  of  rice ;  a  pair  of  new 
wooden  chop-sticks,  still  joined  at  one  end,  to  show 
they  had  never  been  used,  in  a  pretty  paper  envelope  ; 
and  another  similar  box,  done  up  in  picturesque  paper, 
containing  nine  different  articles  of  food,  arranged 
like  a  bouquet,  with  strips  of  green  bamboo  leaf,  cut 
with  scissors,  to  separate  them.  It  was  a  perfect  gem 
of  Japanese  art  and  neatness.  Among  the  items  were 
a  very  small  boiled  cuttle-fish,  which  was  very  good, 
white  beans  cooked  with  sugar,  boiled  seaweed,  pickle, 
a  mushroom,  a  tiny  rice-flour  pudding,  a  rice-flour 
sponge  cake,  a  lump  of  Turkish  delight,  and  two 
vegetables,  to  me  unknown.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  the  dishes  were  microscopical,  and  were  not  very 
much  larger  than  the  dolls'  feasts  to  which  grand- 
children invite  me.  We  had  a  kuruma  ride  of  two 
miles  through  the  vast  city  from  the  station  of 
Nagoya  to  the  hospitable  roof  of  our  Canadian  friends, 
the  Eev.  J.  C.  and  Mrs.  Eobinson. 

Nagoya  is  full  of  interest,  ancient  and  modern, 
historical  and  artistic.  The  central  feature,  which 
catches  the  eye  from  every  part  of  the  city,  is  the 
castle,  probably  the  finest  specimen  of  an  old  Daimio's 
residence  in  the  country,  and  as  now  it  is  government 
property,  it  is  one  of  the  fe\\  that  has  been  carefully 
preserved.  It  is  the  Alnwick  Castle  of  Japan,  and 
was  held  by  the  first  peer  of  the  realm  next  to  the 
Shogun.  The  founder  of  the  house  was  the  son  01 
lyeyasu.  The  castle  was  built  in  1610;  the  outer 
enceinte  is  very  extensive,  and  is  occupied  by  the 
garrison,  but  the  central  citadel  and  donjon-keep 


166  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

are  indeed  a  marvellous  wooden  pile,  and  a  grand 
specimen  of  barbaric  splendour. 

A  moat,  still  full  of  water,  surrounds  the  outer 
wall,  formed  of  mighty  cyclopean  masonry,  all  the 
walls  sloping  and  slightly  curving  outwards.  Then 
there  is  a  wide  open  space  with  gardens,  orchards, 
and  fields,  and  here  are  the  extensive  barracks  and 
parade  ground,  where  formerly  were  the  quarters  of 
the  prince's  Samurai  and  the  offices  of  the  province. 
Within  this  is  an  inner  moat,  now  dry,  and  inhabited 
by  a  small  herd  of  deer,  and  above  it  rises  another 
cyclopean  wall,  surmounted  by  wooden  battlements. 

The  centre  keep,  a  massive  structure  of  five  stories 
supported  by  stone  walls,  but  within  entirely  wooden, 
is  surrounded  by  a  bewildering  number  of  apartments, 
of  one  or  two  stories,  of  which,  alas !  the  furniture 
has  all  disappeared,  though  the  exquisitely  carved 
and  gilded  ceilings  and  the  partitioned  panels  of  each 
chamber  are  decorated  with  very  fine  paintings,  as 
are  the  alcoves  and  the  wooden  doors  between  the 
different  sets  of  apartments.  Each  room  is  generally 
devoted  to  a  distinct  subject  painted  in  panels.  Thus 
we  have  the  history  of  the  tiger  in  one  room,  in 
another  of  the  leopard,  in  another  pheasants,  of  which 
five  different  species  are  admirably  depicted ;  deer, 
hawks,  squirrels,  woodpeckers,  etc.,  etc.,  have  all 
their  separate  apartments.  Others  are  devoted  to 
ancient  Japanese  life,  civil  and  military.  In  one,  all 
their  games  are  beautifully  painted  in  a  series  of 
twelve ;  in  another  a  painting  of  horse-racing  occupies 
a  whole  side,  and  among  the  spectators  stand  two 


^ 

UNIVERSITY 


NAGOYA  169 

unmistakable  Dutchmen.  In  another  a  tournament 
is  depicted,  where  a  Japanese  lady  is  evidently  the 
queen  of  beauty.  Another,  the  richest  apartment  of 
the  whole — the  one  kept  for  the  use  of  the  Shogun 
when  he  should  visit  the  prince — is  decorated  with 
fancy  Chinese  scenery,  while  in  the  alcove  are  power- 
ful carvings  of  cranes,  tortoises  and  cocks,  the  latter 
perched  on  a  drum.  In  one  of  the  bird  panels  in 
another  room  is  a  hole  cut  out  exactly  the  shape  of  a 
swallow,  the  myth  being  that  the  painter  made  so 
perfect  a  swallow  that  it  flew  away  in  the  night  and 
left  its  place  vacant ! 

At  the  bottom  of  the  keep  is  a  very  deep  and 
inexhaustible  well.  It  is  difficult  to  describe  the 
massive  piles  of  wood  employed  in  this  huge  struc- 
ture. The  boards  of  the  corridors  are  so  arranged 
that  it  is  impossible  to  walk  on  them  without  their 
creaking,  and  so  warning  is  given  of  any  one's 
approach.  Each  storey  is  roofed  with  sheets  of 
copper,  and  it  is  said  the  fortress  could  accommodate 
25,000  defenders.  From  the  top  of  it  we  had  a 
magnificent  view  of  the  vast  plain,  using  our  glasses 
to  some  purpose. 

The  angles  of  the  roof  of  the  summit  are  orna- 
mented by  two  golden  dolphins  gleaming  in  the 
sunlight,  and  catching  the  eye  from  every  part  of  the 
city.  One  of  these  was  sent  to  the  Vienna  Exhibition 
in  1873,  and  was  wrecked  on  its  way  back,  but  with 
great  difficulty  recovered  from  the  sea,  and  restored 
to  its  height,  whence  it  is  never  to  descend  again. 
But  there  is  a  tale  of  a  thief  who  took  advantage,  of 


170  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

a  stormy  night  to  fly  a  kite  over  one  of  them,  and 
thus  attempted  to  get  the  gold  plating,  but  was 
caught  and  boiled  in  oil  for  his  pains,  after  which  the 
flying  of  large  kites  was  prohibited  in  the  province. 
The  dolphins  are  eight  feet  and  a  half  in  height,  and 
are  said  to  be  worth  £40,000. 

The  historic  castle  is  not  the  only  attraction  of 
Nagoya,  which  well  deserves  more  time  than  the 
three  days  we  were  able  to  bestow  upon  it.  A  bright 
avenue  of  blossoming  cherry  trees  leads  up  to  the 
Buddhist  temple  called  Higashi  Hongwanji,  which  is 
remarkable  not  only  for  its  external  beauty  and  its 
internal  splendour,  but  as  being  one  of  the  very  few 
fine  religious  buildings  erected  in  the  present  century, 
and  which  rivals  if  it  does  not  surpass  the  structures 
of  ancient  art.  It  is  the  cathedral  of  the  Hongwanji 
sect,  or  reformed  Buddhists,  a  sect  not  more  than  300 
years  old,  who  desire  to  restore  their  religion  to  what 
they  believe  was  its  primitive  purity.  Their  leading 
tenet,  which  distinguishes  them  from  the  numerous 
other  subdivisions  of  Buddhism  in  Japan,  is  the 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  that  is,  they  teach 
that  if  your  good  works  and  penances  are  not  of  them- 
selves sufficient  to  insure  your  rapid  attainment  of 
Nirvana,  or  absorption  into  the  infinite,  the  desired 
end  may  be  attained  by  faith  in  the  Amida  incarnation 
of  Buddha.  As  this  sect  embraces  the  most  thoughtful 
and  intellectual  part  of  the  population,  the  pro- 
minence that  it  gives  to  the  doctrine  of  justification 
by  faith  removes  one  great  obstacle  to  the  reception 
<>f  Christianity,  if  it  even  does  not  pave  the  way  for  it. 


NAGOYA  171 

A  careful  survey  of  this  temple  affords  sufficient 
evidence  that  neither  art  nor  taste  have  degenerated 
in  the  country ;  though  there  are  no  signs  of  any 
development  or  originality.  But  can  we  say  more, 
or  as  much,  of  architectural  art  in  our  own  country  ? 
Where  is  the  trace  of  originality  in  any  one  of  our 
modern  architects  ?  Have  our  Gilbert  Scotts  or 
Butterfields  done  any  more  than  simply  reproduce 
the  older  designs ;  or  are  their  most  original  works 
anything  more  than  the  taking  to  pieces,  after  the 
manner  of  a  Chinese  puzzle,  the  masterpieces  of  our 
old  designers,  and  reproducing  them  in  a  somewhat 
varied  arrangement?  This  temple,  which  is  120  feet 
long,  is  divided  into  a  nave  and  two  aisles,  with  a 
deep  chancel  and  a  central  gilt  shrine,  with  an  image 
of  Buddha  on  a  platform,  enriched  with  exquisitely 
designed  carvings  and  sculpture  in  wood,  painted  and 
gilded.  The  shrine  at  the  termination  of  one  of  the 
aisles  contains  a  portrait  of  the  founder  of  the  sect. 
On  both  sides  of  the  central  image  are  several  gilt 
screens,  on  which  are  very  cleverly  painted  landscapes. 
But  what  struck  me  most  in  this  temple  was  the 
number  and  wonderful  variety  of  fabulous  and  super- 
natural beings — in  fact,  a  repertory  of  all  that  is 
mythological  and  legendary  in  the  fairy  tales  of  old 
Japan.  The  heroes  of  romance  or  of  fairy  tales  are 
represented  riding  on  fish,  tortoises,  cranes,  frogs,  and 
dragons.  All  the  figures  I  believe  can  be  explained 
by  references  to  the  old  Japanese  mythology,  of  which 
on  these  points  at  least  I  must  confess  my  ignorance. 

One   other   small  temple  is   well  worth   a   visit 


172  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

for  the  extraordinary  collection  of  images  which 
it  contains.  On  both  sides  of  and  behind  the  shrine 
are  galleries,  where  are  arranged  on  stages  one  above 
another  small  statues  of  the  five  hundred  original 
disciples  of  Buddha.  Each  one  of  the  five  hundred  is 
different,  both  in  face  and  costume.  No  two  can  be 
found  alike.  The  work  is  said  to  be  about  three 
hundred  years  old.  What  strikes  the  visitor  most  is 
that  there  is  nothing  conventional  about  them,  nothing 
of  the  inanimate  uniformity  of  the  Buddhas,  but  all 
are  full  of  expression.  The  artists  must  have  indeed 
been  geniuses  to  devise  the  different  faces,  all  of 
which  they  could  not  have  had  before  them.  In  fact, 
they  seem  quite  to  have  understood  the  characteristic 
types  of  the  various  peoples  of  the  East.  Some  are 
admirable  Hindu  types,  others  Mongolian,  Chinese, 
and  Malay,  besides  the  ordinary  Japanese.  There  is 
every  variety  too  of  individual  expression.  Some  are 
grave  and  dignified,  others  haughty  and  imperious, 
some  smiling,  others  with  an  amusing  Pharisaic 
expression  of  self-satisfaction.  Their  attitudes  are 
as  various  as  their  countenances,  standing,  kneeling, 
recumbent,  praying,  blessing,  or  riding  on  horses, 
elephants,  etc.  The  verger  assured  us  that  every  one 
who  searches  can  find  his  own  likeness  among  these 
Eakan. 

We  had  intended  to  leave  Nagoya  earlier  than 
we  did,  but  we  missed  our  train  owing  to  it 
starting  by  the  station  clock,  which  was  fast.  On 
our  remonstrating  with  the  officials  they  were  most 
profuse  in  apologies,  and  would  be  delighted  to  put 


NAGOYA  175 

the  clock  to  any  time  we  wished.  They  at  once  put 
it  back  ten  minutes  to  oblige  us,  but  this  did  not 
recall  our  train.  However,  we  were  able  well  to 
utilise  the  extra  time.  We  gave  a  day  to  visiting 
the  porcelain  manufactories  of  Nagoya,  under  the 
guidance  of  a  highly  educated,  intelligent  Japanese 
Christian  gentleman.  Nagoya  is  a  great  manufac- 
turing centre  for  every  kind  of  porcelain,  not  only  for 
that  which  bears  its  name,  but  also  for  the  modern 
Satsuma  and  cloisonne  wares.  We  saw  the  whole 
processes,  from  the  mixing  of  the  clay,  the  modelling, 
painting,  and  baking,  to  the  final  glazing.  Much  of 
it  was  very  like  the  operations  which  I  have  seen  in 
Worcester,  though  much  less  depended  on  machinery, 
and  more  on  the  accuracy  of  the  individual  hand  and 
eye.  This  was  especially  the  case  with  the  painting. 
All  Nagoya  ware  is  hand-painted,  and  we  watched 
for  a  long  time  an  old  man  sitting  on  the  ground, 
with  an  unbaked  vase  between  his  legs,  which  he  was 
covering  with  artistic  designs  with  great  rapidity, 
and  no  copy  before  him.  He  rapidly  finished  his 
work,  and  having  passed  it  on,  took  another  vase, 
which  he  would  decorate  quite  in  another  style, 
again  without  a  copy.  Having  passed  this  on,  he 
would  take  its  fellow  and  reproduce  exactly  the  same 
pattern  without  once  referring  to  the  other,  simply 
from  memory.  It  seemed  to  make  no  difference 
whether  the  subject  were  landscape,  a  garden  scene, 
birds,  or  human  figures,  all  were  performed  with 
equal  accuracy  and  rapidity.  This  skill  is  acquired 
by  long  training  and  practice.  These  decorators  of 


1  76  RAMBLES   IN    JAPAN 

the  ceramic  art,  like  the  other  artists  of  their  country, 
never  copy  Nature,  but  study  the  recognised  master- 
pieces of  the  artists  of  the  olden  time,  whose  works 
they  reproduce  over  and  over  again  with  Chinese 
accuracy,  even  to  the  minutest  touches,  never  ventur- 
ing beyond  the  original. 

And  so  in  landscape  art.  No  Japanese  will 
attempt,  for  instance,  to  sketch  Fuji  from  Nature, 
still  less  to  attempt  a  subject  not  selected  by  the  old 
masters.  There  are,  perhaps,  about  fifty  such  scenes, 
which  have  the  same  place  in  art  as  the  Madonnas  of 
Raphael  and  Murillo  in  Europe,  and  these  are  well 
known  to  every  educated  Japanese,  who  would  think 
it  a  profanation  to  attempt  a  sketch  of  a  scene  not 
included  in  the  classical  selection.  We  followed  the 
vases  from  the  artist  to  the  kiln,  the  delicate  mani- 
pulation of  which  showed  how  much  depends  upon  a 
practised  eye  and  touch  ;  and  then  finally  to  the 
glazing  oven.  We  had  the  satisfaction  of  including 
among  our  subsequent  purchases  a  pair  of  vases 
of  which  we  had  watched  the  whole  process  of 
manufacture. 

Another  department  of  this  large  factory  was 
devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  modern  Satsuma 
ware,  the  distinctive  characteristic  of  which  seems 
to  be  a  peculiar  minute  reticulated  cracking  beneath 
the  glaze.  The  art  of  this  manufacture  has  only 
lately  been  resuscitated,  in  consequence  of  the 
immense  prices  obtained  for  the  old  extinct  Satsuma 
ware.  So  far  as  I  could  detect  the  process,  this 
peculiar  effect  is  produced  in  the  baking,  perhaps 


NAGOYA  177 

by  its  being  taken  out  and  immersed  in  some  liquid 
or  exposed  to  a  sudden  change  of  temperature  before 
the  process  is  completed.  Probably  we  were  not 
shown  everything,  as  it  is  not  likely  that  what  must 
be  almost  if  not  altogether  a  secret  should  be 
revealed  to  strangers. 

But  we  did  watch  with  much  interest  the  cloisonne 
manufacture,  which  is  again  an  example  of  the 
marvellous  memory  and  imitative  power  of  Japanese 
artistic  workmen.  The  vase  to  be  operated  upon 
was  slightly  dried  rather  than  baked  before  it  came 
into  the  artist's  hands.  He  was  supplied  with  long 
rolls  of  metal  slips  or  flattened  wire  about  the  width 
of  a  watch-spring,  say  the  eighth  of  an  inch,  which 
looked  like  nickel,  but  which  were,  I  believe,  copper. 
In  fact,  had  it  not  been  for  their  colour,  I  should 
have  taken  them  for  watch  springs.  These,  with 
marvellous  delicacy,  the  workman  twisted  into  the 
desired  shape,  and  pressed  lightly  into  the  soft  clay, 
snipping  them  when  required  with  a  pair  of  pliers, 
and  forming  the  outline  of  leaves  or  birds,  or  what- 
ever else  he  desired  to  represent. 

When  his  pattern  was  thus  completed,  he  filled 
the  various  interstices  of  this  network  from  a  palette 
by  his  side,  on  which  were  arranged  little  piles  of 
paste  of  various  colours.  There  might  be  from  a 
dozen  to  twenty  pastes  of  different  shades  employed 
for  a  single  vase. 

The  patterns  of  some  of  the  borders  were  ex- 
tremely small,  some  of  the  loops  being  but  the 
fortieth  part  of  an  inch  across.  For  these  he  twisted 

N 


178  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

his  wire  with  minute  pliers.  This  part  of  the  work 
was  really  almost  microscopic,  and  yet  done  with 
the  accuracy  of  a  machine.  When  these  tiny  par- 
titions had  received  a  portion  of  the  metallic  paste, 
the  ware  was  taken  to  the  kiln,  slightly  baked  and 
then  refilled.  This  process  is  repeated  several  times, 
when  the  article  is  smoothed  down  and  polished  by 
another  artist.  A  most  costly  kind  of  cloisonne 
ware  is  formed  on  copper  instead  of  porcelain.  This 
manufacture,  however,  did  not  come  under  our 
notice. 

Having  completed  the  pattern  according  to  his 
taste,  he  then  roughed  the  field  not  occupied  by  his 
design  with  a  wooden  instrument,  when  the  vase 
was  ready  for  the  first  kiln  and  then  for  the  polisher. 
After  spending  half  a  day  in  inspecting  the  manu- 
facture, we  visited  the  show-room,  which  would  have 
done  credit  to  Kegent  Street,  and  five  boxes  told 
the  tale  of  the  spoil  that  had  become  ours.  We 
had  no  further  trouble  with  our  purchases,  which 
were  sent  on  by  the  vender  to  Osaka,  and  thence 
to  England,  where  they  arrived  without  a  single 
fracture.  The  packing  of  china  is  an  art  in  Japan. 
Every  article  is  packed  separately  in  rice  straw 
twisted  tightly  round  the  article,  and  the  ends 
ingeniously  tucked  in,  so  that  each  piece  of  porcelain 
looks  like  a  hard  straw  ball,  and  can  be  let  fall 
without  fracture. 

We  afterwards  visited  in  the  company  of  our 
Japanese  friend,  who  was  a  well-known  connoisseur 
in  art,  a  great  sale  of  furniture,  lacquer  and  bronze, 


NAGOYA  179 

the  property  of  the  son  of  a  celebrated  Daimio,  who 
had  been  ruining  himself  on  the  turf  at  Paris,  and 
was  compelled  to  raise  money  by  the  sale  of  the 
family  heirlooms.  These  were  displayed  in  the 
upper  storey  of  the  principal  hotel  in  the  place. 
All  the  partitions  having  been  removed,  the  whole 
formed  one  spacious  gallery,  along  the  sides  and 
down  the  centre  of  which  the  various  articles  were 
arranged,  each  having  a  strip  of  tissue  paper  attached 
to  it  with  the  price  distinctly  marked  in  Japanese 
characters.  Thus  there  was  no  bargaining,  no  abate- 
ment, no  competition.  The  visitor  simply  told  the 
salesman  the  number  of  the  article  he  wished  for, 
and  it  was  handed  to  him.  There  were  many 
ancestral  relics  of  great  intrinsic  value,  very  fine 
bronzes  at  a  figure  quite  beyond  my  limits ;  but 
guided  by  our  Japanese  friend  we  spent  a  few  pounds 
in  antique  lacquer  ware  inlaid  with  mother  of  pearl, 
which  we  found  afterwards  was  considered  a  great 
bargain.  Amongst  others  a  tray  of  ancient  Corean 
lacquer,  the  manufacture  of  which  is  quite  different 
from  the  Japanese,  and  is  now  a  lost  art. 

On  Sunday  morning  we  had  a  walk  of  two  miles  to 
the  house  used  as  a  church,  which  is  simply  an  ordinary 
house  in  a  busy  street.  Passing  through  the  outer 
apartment,  all  took  off  their  shoes.  The  next  room 
was  the  vestry,  and  beyond  it  the  church,  consisting 
of  three  rooms  thrown  into  one,  with  the  communion 
table  at  the  further  end,  where  the  paper  walls  had 
been  removed,  so  that  the  church  opened  on  the 
pretty  little  garden  behind.  The  congregation  con- 

N  2 


180  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

sisted  of  rather  less  than  thirty  adults,  and  a  Sunday- 
school  of  about  a  dozen  children.  Chairs  were  found 
for  Mrs.  Eobinson  and  myself,  but  everyone  else  sat 
on  the  floor,  while  the  bishop  in  full  robes  officiated 
in  stocking  feet.  We  began  with  the  Confirmation 
Service.  Six  converts  were  confirmed,  one  of  them  a 
leading  lawyer,  another  a  man  of  education,  who  was 
to  be  a  catechist.  The  bishop  gave  the  address 
before  the  service,  and  Holy  Communion  followed,  of 
course  all  in  Japanese,  which,  though  I  could  not 
understand,  yet  was  able  to  follow,  an  advantage  of 
a  liturgy  that  1  have  often  felt  in  foreign  lands. 
It  was  an  intensely  interesting  spectacle,  and  recalled 
in  imagination  the  infant  churches  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  The  occasion  when  St.  Paul  received  into 
the  church  Dionysius  the  Areopagite  and  the  lady 
Damaris  could  not  have  been  very  different  in  its 
surroundings.  There  were  various  other  services  and 
schools  in  the  afternoon  and  evening,  for  neither  the 
bishop  nor  any  other  of  the  missionaries  spare  them- 
selves, but  I  remained  at  home. 

We  left  Nagoya  and  its  125,000  inhabitants 
reluctantly.  We  could  well  have  spent  more  time 
there  with  our  charming  hosts,  who  are  specimens  of 
earnest  missionaries,  and  an  honour  to  the  Canadian 
Church. 

Our  next  stage  was  Gifu,  a  town  of  40,000  in- 
habitants, the  capital  of  the  province  of  Mino,  and 
the  employment  of  whose  people  is  the  manufacture 
cf  paper  lanterns  ;  the  rearing  of  silkworms  ;  and  in 
summer  the  fishing  with  cormorants,  which  is  really 


NAGOYA  181 

the   important   industry   of    the   place,    and    which 
attracts  many  spectators. 

This  art,  like  falconry,  is  of  great  antiquity,  and 
like  it,  has  been  derived  from  China.  Old  Willoughby, 
more  than  two  hundred  years  ago,  described  this  mode 
of  fishing  with  cormorants  as  it  had  been  carried  on  in 
old  England  long  before  his  time,  and  refers  to  several 
authorities,  as  J.  Faber  and  Mendoza.  In  England, 
however,  it  had  become  extinct,  until  recently  it 
was  resuscitated  by  that  well-known  falconer 
Captain  F.  Salvin.  It  would  seem  that  the  sport 
was  introduced  into  Europe  in  the  beginning  of  the 
17th  century  by  the  Dutch,  from  whose  country  it 
spread  to  France  and  England,  and  was  a  favourite 
amusement  of  both  James  I.  and  Charles  I.  Probably 
it  was  from  Japan  rather  than  China  that  the 
earlier  voyagers  derived  their  knowledge  of  this  mode 
of  fishing.  Cormorant  fishing,  as  I  have  seen  it 
carried  on  on  a  large  scale  in  the  Chinese  province  of 
Che-Kiang  in  no  way  differs  from  the  Japanese 
method.  The  cormorants,  which  are  taken  very 
young,  are  taught  to  feed  from  the  hand,  and  then 
allowed  to  fish  for  themselves  with  a  long  string 
attached  to  their  foot.  But  being  very  docile  and 
tame,  they  soon  learn  to  return  to  call.  When  they 
have  proved  themselves  sufficiently  trustworthy,  they 
are  allowed  to  fish  loose,  with  a  leather  strap  round 
the  neck,  so  that  they  cannot  swallow  the  prey  they 
have  captured.  When  called,  they  return  and  disgorge 
it,  and  when  they  have  thus  secured  as  large  a  supply 
as  their  master  wants,  the  strap  is  removed,  and  they 


182  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

are  allowed  to  fish  for  themselves.  The  birds,  when 
allowed  a  short  rest  at  intervals,  will  continue  their 
labours  through  the  whole  night,  the  fish  being 
attracted  to  the  boat,  raft,  or  it  may  be  plank  fixed 
to  the  shore,  by  a  torch  kept  burning. 

Our  hosts  at  Gifu  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chappell, 
of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  the  station 
having  been  only  taken  up  by  the  society  about  a. 
year  previously.  Its  origin  is  interesting.  Mr. 
Chappell's  brother  was  English  teacher  in  the 
Government  High  School  here,  and  being  an  earnest 
Christian  man,  devoted  what  time  he  could  to 
drawing  towards  the  Gospel  those  whom  he  could 
reach.  The  governor  refused  to  allow  him  to  hold 
services  or  to  preach,  but  at  length  gave  him  per- 
mission, on  condition  of  his  promising  not  to  speak 
against  Buddha.  This  was  a  great  step  forward, 
considering  that  Mr.  Chappell  was  a  servant  of  the 
government.  He  then  persuaded  his  brother,  who 
was  a  curate  in  England,  to  come  out  and  take  his 
place,  and  he  for  some  time  supported  the  infant 
mission,  and  after  an  interval  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  adopted  it.  The  result  of  two  and  a  half  years' 
work  in  a  city  where  there  was  not  a  single*  baptized 
Christian  to  begin  with,  is  that  now  there  are  seven 
out-stations,  at  three  of  which  there  are  mission - 
rooms,  in  the  others  meetings  in  houses.  There  are 
two  catechists  continually  at  work,  one  at  Gifu,  the 
other  in  the  villages.  We  met  them  both,  and  very 
earnest,  capable  men  they  appeared  to  be.  In  Gifu 
there  were  sixty-five  Church  members,  besides  eight 


NAGOYA  183 

baptized  converts  scattered  in  the  out-stations,  A 
good-sized  hired  house  in  a  lovely  garden  served  for 
a  church,  and  as  the  garden  gates  stand  open  and 
the  whole  front  of  the  church  is  also  open,  the  people 
can  stroll  in  here,  and  see  as  they  like,  without 
disturbing  the  services  or  committing  themselves. 
The  church  was  all  matted,  and  much  larger  than 
that  at  Nagoya,  but — which  is  quite  an  innovation 
for  a  strictly  native  community —  had  benches.  There 
was  a  neat  communion  table,  desks,  and  font  I  had 
not  yet  met  with  a  more  promising  infant  church 
than  this,  but  the  people  are  characteristically  inde- 
pendent, and  Mr.  Chappell  knows  what  a  parochial 
council  means.  A  notice  tablet  by  the  gate  gave 
a  goodly  list  of  the  services  and  meetings  throughout 
the  week. 

Gifu  is  dominated  by  a  fine  bold  ridge  of 
thickly-wooded  hills,  which  we  attempted  to  climb, 
but  after  a  long  scramble  in  the  woods  had  to 
abandon  the  attempt,  though  we  were  rewarded  by  a 
grand  view  over  the  wide  Ohari  plain.  We  returned 
through  a  pretty  public  park,  with  band-stand  and 
all  the  most  modern  appliances.  After  purchasing, 
as  in  duty  bound,  a  due  supply  of  paper  and  bamboo 
lanterns  and  fans,  in  most  of  which  the  cormorant 
fishing  figures,  we  found  a  number  of  the  Christians 
had  assembled  to  meet  us.  I  gave  them  an  address, 
which  was  interpreted  by  one  of  the  catechists,  who 
understood  English  very  fairly. 

At  Gifu  we  found  ourselves  off  the  Tokaido  and  on 
the  Nakasendo,  the  other  great  road  between  Tokio 


UNFV 


184  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

and  Kioto,  leading  mainly  through  the  mountains,  as 
its  name  implies,  the  Tokaido  following  the  plain  as 
far  as  possible.  The  road  was  constructed  more  than 
a  thousand  years  ago.  Tradition  carries  its  origin 
much  further  back,  and  says  that  in  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Kaiko,  A.D.  71,  his  son  made  use  of  this 
road  for  the  conquest  of  the  eastern  parts  of  Japan, 
[  can  hardly  leave  Gifu  without  mentioning  that  a 
very  few  months  after  our  visit  this  fair  country, 
with  the  lovely  plain  on  which  we  had  been  gazing, 
and  the  vast  city  of  Nagoya,  were  desolated,  and 
Gifu  itself  destroyed  by  the  earthquake,  one  of  the 
most  disastrous  on  record,  and  of  the  effects  of  which 
the  illustrations  may  give  some  idea. 

A  long  railway  journey  took  us  from  Gifu  to 
Hikone  Station  ;  but  let  not  the  weary  traveller  who 
is  set  down  at  the  station  imagine  that  he  has 
arrived  at  the  place,  for  in  Japan,  as  elsewhere, 
stations  are  sometimes  far  from  the  spot  whose  name 
they  bear.  We  found  ourselves  deposited  at  a 
roadside  station  late  at  night,  with  no  means  of 
conveyance  for  ourselves  or  our  baggage  to  the  town, 
until  through  the  good  offices  of  the  kindly  folk  at 
the  station  kurumas  were  sent  for,  which  landed  us 
towards  midnight  at  a  little  inn  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Biwa,  where,  having  knocked  up  the  people,  we 
had  tea,  and  slept  soundly  on  the  matted  floor. 
Notwithstanding  the  shortness  of  our  night,  we 
pushed  aside  our  paper  screens  soon  after  sunrise, 
and  looked  out  on  the  fairy-like  scene  over  the  water. 
The  house  reminded  us  of  the  one  at  Hakone,  pro- 


NAGOYA  187 

jecting  over  the  lake,  close  to  the  little  wooden  pier, 
which  already  presente  a  busy  scene,  as  bales  of 
rice  and  fish  were  carried  down  ready  for  the  steamer 
which  runs  the  length  of  the  lake  twice  a  day,  Hikone 
being  a  third  of  the  way  down  on  the  western  side. 
Biwa  is  larger  than  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  over  thirty- 
six  miles  long,  and  surrounded  by  mountains  on  all 
sides,  on  one  only  of  which  did  we  notice  the  patches 
of  snow  remaining.  There  are  several  wooded  islets 
scattered  over  it.  The  name  is  derived  from  a 
fancied  resemblance  to  the  shape  of  the  guitar.  The 
natives  are  very  proud  of  this  lake,  which  in  their 
estimation  ranks  only  second  to  Mount  Fuji  as  one  of 
the  glories  of  Japan,  and  they  are  fond  of  boasting 
that  it  is  larger  than  any  lake  in  Europe.  The 
tradition  is  that  the  lake  was  created  by  an  earth- 
quake the  year  B.C.  286,  at  the  same  time  that 
Fuji  robe  from  the  plains  of  Suruga.  In  Japanese 
poetry  this  lake  is  a  favourite  theme,  and  the  '  eight 
beauties  of  Omi '  e.  Biwa)  are  frequently  alluded 
to,  these  beauties  I  dng  the  autumn  moon  as  seen 
from  one  place,  the  evening  sun  from  another,  and 
so  on.  However  fanciful  these  may  be,  no  one  who 
has  seen  it  will  deny  that  the  lake  presents  many 
lovely  landscapes,  though  none  possess  the  grand  or 
the  sublime. 

Hikone  possesses  a  half-destroyed  feudal  castle, 
the  seat  of  one  of  the  Daimios,  which  would  have 
been  entirely  demolished  had  not  the  Mikado, 
happening  to  pass  through  Hikone,  and  finding  the 
inhabitants  exhibiting,  as  they  thought,  their  loyalty, 


188  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

by  pulling  down  the  noble  old  building,  promptly 
stopped  this  act  of  vandalism.  Unfortunately,  at 
the  time  of  the  inauguration  of  the  new  era  and  the 
abolition  of  feudalism,  loyalty  was  exhibited  by  the 
destruction  of  the  old  castles  throughout  the  country, 
much  as  zeal  for  the  Keformation  was  demonstrated 
by  the  destruction  of  abbeys. 

As  the  steamer  started  from  the  north  end  of 
the  lake,  two  or  three  hours  before  it  reached  Hikone, 
we  had  an  opportunity  for  a  stroll  on  the  beach ;  and 
amongst  the  reeds  and  rushes  I  collected  many 
splendid  specimens  of  fresh-water  shells,  of  species 
peculiar,  I  believe,  to  this  district.  Though  generally 
the  Japanese  thoroughly  appreciate  a  collector's  taste, 
especially  in  botany,  the  villagers  were  exceedingly 
amused  and  perplexed  by  the  interest  we  took  in 
shells,  and  especially  in  those  whose  inmates  were  too 
small  to  eat,  and  which  involved  wading  in  the  mud 
to  find  them. 

At  length  the  steamer  arrived,  more  like  a  small 
steam  launch  than  a  passenger  boat.  All  on  board  were 
Japanese,  and  there  were  a  great  many  passengers. 
We  had  no  idea  of  investigating  the  cabins,  in  which 
no  person  over  five  foot  could  enjoy  locomotion 
excepting  on  all  fours.  But  the  captain,  who  at 
once  made  our  acquaintance,  could  talk  a  little 
English,  of  which  he  was  very  proud,  and  was 
delighted  to  point  out  objects  of  interest  during 
the  few  hours  we  were  on  board.  He  startled  us 
by  telling  us  that  the  Czarevitch  had  been  nearly 
murdered  by  a  policeman  the  day  before  at  Otsu, 


NAGOYA  189 

at  the  south  end  of  the  lake,  whither  we  were  then 
on  our  way,  and  that  he  had  been  carried  to  Kioto. 
The  man  had  struck  him  over  the  head  and  neck, 
and  would  certainly  have  killed  him  had  not  two 
kuruma  men  seized  him.  The  consternation  and 
excitement  of  the  passengers  may  be  imagined. 
The  prominent  feeling  seemed  to  be  distress  at  the 
disgrace  that  had  thus  been  brought  on  their  country, 
and  that  they  would  be  looked  upon  as  savages  by 
other  nations.  To  nothing  is  a  Japanese  so  sensitive 
as  to  the  suspicion  that  his  nation  is  not  looked  upon 
as  civilised,  and  therefore  they  felt  keenly  as  a 
national  slur  the  appearance  of  treachery  to  a  guest. 

Nearing  Otsu,  we  passed  close  in  shore  by 
Karasaki,  and  could  examine  at  our  leisure  the 
celebrated  pine-tree,  said  to  be  the  largest,  not  the 
tallest,  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  Its  branches  spread 
downwards  and  outwards  on  all  sides,  many  of  them 
being  close  to  the  ground.  The  height  of  the  tree 
is  said  to  be  90  feet,  the  circumference  of  the  trunk 
37  feet,  and  the  diameter  covered  by  its  branches 
from  north  to  south  290,  and  from  east  to  west  240 
feet.  The  branches,  of  course,  are  all  propped  and 
supported,  so  that  the  tree  has  the  appearance  of 
a  very  flattened  banyan.  It  is  evidently  carefully 
tended,  and  any  signs  of  decay  are  promptly  treated. 
Arrived  at  the  extremity  of  the  lake,  we  found 
the  town  of  Otsu  in  a  ferment  of  excitement.  It 
is  a  bustling,  thriving  little  place,  with  wide  streets, 
and  a  fine  aqueduct,  which  has  just  been  completed 
to  convey  the  water  thence  to  Kioto.  It  was  to 


190  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

visit  these  works  that  the  Czarevitch  had  come, 
when  he  was  struck  at  by  the  policeman  as  he  was 
returning  from  the  formal  opening  of  the  tunnel. 
This  tunnel,  an  example  of  bold  engineering,  pierces 
the  mountain  which  bars  the  south  end  of  Biwa.  The 
tragic  event  took  place  exactly  in  front  of  the  hotel 
where  we  rested,  and  the  spot  was  being  guarded  by 
police.  The  would-be  assassin  was  high  in  the  force, 
over  forty  years  of  age,  and  had  won  distinction  in 
the  suppression  of  the  Satsuma  rebellion.  He  had 
been  specially  trusted  with  the  care  of  the  road  for 
the  passage  of  the  Czarevitch.  It  is  believed  that  he 
did  the  deed  as  a  protest  in  revenge  for  the  filching  of 
Saghalien  by  Eussia,  a  piece  of  Muscovite  diplomacy 
which  Japan  has  never  forgiven.  He  probably 
belonged  to  a  secret  society,  and  was  appointed  by 
lot  to  commit  the  crime.  He  had  on  him  a  stiletto 
to  kill  himself,  but  was  prevented  by  being  instantly 
seized  by  two  kuruma  men.  But  the  secret  history 
of  the  affair  will  never  be  known,  as  no  Japanese 
conspirator  will  ever,  under  any  torture,  betray 
another.  The  Czarevitch  was  at  once  taken  to  Kioto, 
and  on  learning  the  news  by  telegraph,  the  Mikado 
at  once  started  from  Tokio  to  visit  him.  The  people 
of  all  ranks  were  horror-struck,  and  one  old  lady  in 
Otsu  on  hearing  it  at  once  committed  suicide  by 
harakiri,  to  show  her  indignation. 

As  we  dined  sitting  on  the  floor,  while  our  land- 
lord chatted  very  freely  and  retailed  all  the  gossip  on 
the  event  of  the  day,  we  could  not  help  feeling  how 
strange  it  was  that  here  we  were,  the  two  solitary 


" 

UNIVE, 


NAGOYA  191 

Europeans  in  a  country  town  in  the  interior  of  Japan, 
the  name  of  which  had  scarcely  ever  been  heard 
before  out  of  the  country,  and  yet  that  on  this 
morning  the  name  of  Otsu  would  be  in  every  news- 
paper and  every  mouth  throughout  the  whole  civilised 
world. 

The  only  lion  of  Otsu  besides  the  new  aqueduct  is 
a  famous  Buddhist  temple  sacred  to  Kwannon,  the 
goddess  of  mercy,  from  which  there  is  a  lovely  view 
of  the  lake,  with  the  town  in  the  foreground.  It  is 
not  a  very  fatiguing  walk  to  Kioto,  and  certainly  no 
one  who  can  walk  should  indulge  in  the  questionable 
luxury  of  a  kuruma  for  this  expedition.  Taking  a 
coolie  with  us,  we  first  examined  the  entrance  of  the 
aqueduct  into  the  tunnel,  two  miles  long,  and  then, 
passing  by  the  temple,  we  had  a  charming  walk  over 
an  easy  pass.  On  our  way  were  several  air-shafts 
piercing  the  hill  for  the  ventilation  of  the  tunnel. 

When,  having  descended  the  hill,  we  emerged  on 
the  high  road,  we  could  well  imagine  the  scene  on 
the  Tokaido  before  the  introduction  of  railways. 
Dusty  indeed  and  crowded  it  was,  but  it  gave  us 
an  opportunity  of  noticing  the  great  variety  of  type 
amongst  the  country  people  ;  not  less  was  the  variety 
of  the  ingenious  modes  of  carrying  every  kind  of 
market  and  garden  produce  into  this  vast  city.  The 
peasantry  do  not  show  their  gallantry  in  the  matter 
of  female  labour,  for  a  great  part  of  the  firewood  was 
being  brought  into  the  town  in  huge  bundles  on  the 
heads  of  the  women,  and  women  were  tugging  at  the 
carts  alongside  of  oxen. 


192  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

We  lost  the  first  impression  of  Kioto,  as  the  sun 
had  set,  and  had  a  weary  tramp  of  two  miles  through 
the  streets  before  we  reached  our  intended  hotel, 
reputed  to  be  one  of  the  best  native  hotels  in  Japan. 
To  our  dismay,  we  found  that  it  was  impossible  to 
secure  the  humblest  shelter  here,  for,  as  the  landlord 
assured  us,  the  crowd  of  the  Mikado's  suite  had 
covered  every  mat.  The  landlord  was  an  old 
acquaintance  of  my  daughter,  and,  most  anxious  to 
serve  us,  recommended  us  to  another  hotel — alike  in 
vain.  We  trudged  on,  to  be  shut  out,  homeless 
wanderers,  everywhere.  Dead  tired,  we  at  last  betook 
ourselves  to  kurumas,  and  finally,  at  ten  o'clock,  in 
a  remote  part  of  the  city  found  an  inn,  where  they 
said  they  could  give  us  one  small  room  between  us, 
and  promised  a  paper  screen  to  divide  it,  for  they  too 
were  crammed  with  visitors.  There  was  no  help  for 
it,  unless  we  were  prepared  to  spend  the  night  in 
the  streets. 


ATI  V 

COLOSSAL  IMAGE  OF  BUDDHA. 


195 


CHAPTEE    VI 

A   SECOND   VISIT   TO    KIOTO 

To  know  and  understand  Kioto  would  require  a  resi- 
dence of  many  weeks ;  to  describe  it  adequately,  a 
volume  of  many  pages.  Short  as  was  my  time  in 
Japan,  the  few  days  that  in  the  first  instance  I  gave 
to  Kioto  were  so  utterly  insufficient  that  I  was  glad 
to  have  the  opportunity  of  paying  it  a  second  visit 
on  the  eve  of  my  departure,  to  supply  some  few  of  my 
many  omissions.  It  is  looked  upon  in  Japan  as  the 
centre  of  the  national  life.  For  many  centuries  it 
was  the  gilded  prison  of  the  Mikado.  It  is  emphati- 
cally a  city  of  temples,  and  is  still  practically  the 
religious  metropolis  of  the  nation.  It  fully  justifies 
the  reverence  and  admiration  with  which  it  is  regarded 
by  the  people. 

It  lies  in  a  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  great  central 
range  of  mountains,  which  may  be  compared  to 
our  own  Pennine  range,  in  the  narrowest  part  of 
Hondo,  the  main  island  of  Japan.  Easy  mountain 
roads  converge  to  it  from  all  quarters.  It  is  only 
forty  miles  from  Osaka,  formerly  the  great  harbour 
of  the  eastern  coast,  with  which  it  has  water  com- 
munication. The  plain  is  surrounded  on  three  sides 
by  mountains  clad  in  perpetual  green.  Branches  of 
the  river  Yodogawa  meander  through  the  city,  shaded 

o  2 


196  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

with  ancient  trees ;  and  though  the  streets  are  formal 
in  their  arrangement,  running  parallel  and  at  right 
angles,  yet  the  monotony  is  broken  by  the  continually 
recurring  gardens,  groves  and  temples.  Pagodas  and 
shrines  dot  the  mountain  side,  and  the  lower  slopes 
are  brightened  by  the  variegated  hues  of  innumerable 
gardens.  But  withal  Kioto  seems  to  tell  one  that 
its  glories  are  of  the  past.  It  is  the  one  city  of  Japan 
which  shows  at  once  that  it  has  shrunken  within  its 
ancient  limits,  and  ancient  streets  and  squares  are 
now  transformed  into  suburban  parks  and  fields.  This 
has  been  the  natural  and  necessary  result  of  the 
transference  of  power  from  the  Shogun  to  the  Mikado, 
and  the  change  of  residence  of  the  latter  to  Tokio, 
which  is  more  and  more  the  centre  of  national  life. 

Kioto  is,  however,  so  continually  visited  by 
travellers  and  described  by  writers  that  my  impres- 
sions are  not  likely  to  convey  anything  novel.  We 
had  the  good  fortune  to  see  it  en  fete,  inasmuch  as  the 
emperor  with  his  whole  court  arrived  a  few  hours 
after  ourselves  to  show  his  sympathy  with  the 
Czarevitch,  and  although  we  had  secured  our  quarters, 
there  was  no  sleep  in  Kioto  that  night.  The  emperor 
was  expected  about  midnight,  the  whole  city  was 
illuminated,  the  national  flag,  white  with  the  red  rising 
sun  in  the  centre,  hung  over  every  door,  and  a  large 
paper  lantern  bearing  the  same  colours  was  suspended 
beneath  it.  All  the  public  buildings  were  lighted  up 
with  the  electric  light,  and  the  result  of  the  red  and 
white  winkling  stars  beneath  the  electric  blaze  was 
very  effective.  The  perpetual  din,  coming  and  going, 


A   SECOND    VISIT   TO    KIOTO  197 

ceaseless  talking  all  night,  banished  sleep,  and  once  I 
was  roused  by  a  visit  from  a  policeman  in  search  of  a 
culprit. 

When  we  rose  in  the  morning,  our  first  question 
was  naturally  for  the  bath-room,  inasmuch  as  there 
is  no  basin  or  convenience  for  washing  in  a  Japanese 
room.  All  ablutions  and  toilet  are  performed  out- 
side. The  reply  was,  'No  bath  here,  for  the 
bath-room  is  filled  with  boxes,  but  there  is  a  very 
good  bath  opposite/  But  *  opposite '  we  soon  found 
meant  half-way  down  the  street  on  the  other  side. 
There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  set  off  in  slippers 
and  dressing  gown,  towel  and  sponge  in  hand,  to 
find  it.  Arrived,  we  found  three  or  four  baths  in 
front  of  a  kitchen,  all  open  to  the  public,  and  each 
already  occupied  by  at  least  one  bather.  The 
attendants  offered,  however,  to  run  a  slide  to  screen 
them  from  the  street,  but  they  could  not  provide 
a  separate  bath  for  each.  Baulked  and  unwashed, 
we  returned,  and  after  some  negotiation  got  tubs 
placed  in  a  back  garden.  Having  now  returned  to 
the  abode  of  rank  and  fashion,  we  were  obliged  to 
look  after  the  affairs  of  our  wardrobe.  A  Chinaman 
who  had  a  board  opposite  the  hotel,  announcing  in 
pidgin  English,  'Washman  from  Kobe/  introduced 
himself,  followed  by  his  rival,  who  asserted  that  he 
was  'wase  man.'  At  length,  attired  in  travelling 
best,  we  went  to  deliver  introductions  and  cards, 
and  to  inquire  at  the  hotel  where  the  Czarevitch 
was  staying.  We  found  that  his  imperial  highness 
had  already  gone  down  to  Kobe,  accompanied  by 


198  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

the  emperor,  who  escorted  him  on  board  a  Russian 
man-of-war.  Thus  prematurely  was  the  imperial 
visit  cut  short. 

Distances  are  so  great  in  Kioto  that  we  were 
glad  to  engage  kurumas  by  the  day.  Our  first  visit 
was  to  the  Buddhist  temples  of  Hongwanji,  belonging 
to  the  purest  sect,  for  we  must  remember  that  there 
are  as  many  sects  among  them  as  in  Christendom. 
This  sect  of  the  Shinshu  has  been  already  mentioned 
as  being  characterised  by  teaching  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith,  not  works.  One  of  the  leading 
priests  here  is  an  Oxford  graduate,  a  member  of 
Balliol  College,  who  has  recently  written  a  work 
advancing  further  than  this  sect  in  general,  and 
repudiating  works  of  merit,  since  no  man  can  justify 
himself  or  wash  out  his  own  past  sins,  but  must 
rely  on  Buddha's  righteousness,  and  do  good  works 
as  fruits  and  proofs  of  faith.  In  the  western 
Hongwanji  temple  there  are  many  empty  shrines 
with  figures  of  great  saints  depicted  on  the  walls, 
but  no  images  excepting  a  very  small  wooden  image, 
about  two  feet  high,  of  the  founder  of  the  sect  in 
the  chancel,  and  in  the  dependent  temple  adjoining  a 
gilt  wooden  figure  of  the  Amida  incarnation  of  Buddha 
about  three  feet  high. 

The  temple  and  its  annexes,  for  they  are  really 
a  series  of  great  halls,  give  one  rather  the  idea  of 
picture  galleries  than  of  places  of  worship.  I 
should  have  mentioned  before  a  fine  sacred  tree 
in  the  courtyard  in  front,  the  Gingko  biloba, 
which  is  believed  to  protect  the  temple  against 


A   SECOND   VISIT   TO   KIOTO  201 

fire  by  discharging  showers  of  water  whenever  there 
is  a  conflagration  in  the  neighbourhood.  On  the 
walls  hang  many  a  kakemono,  i.e.  hanging  painted 
scrolls,  glorifying  Buddha,  and  also  portraits  of 
great  divines,  some  of  them  said  to  be  more  than 
two  or  three  centuries  old.  Most  attractive  in  one 
of  the  great  halls  was  a  series  of  beautiful  pictures 
of  snow  scenes  on  the  sliding  panels.  One  set 
represented  the  snow  on  pines,  another  on  plum- 
trees,  another  on  bamboos.  The  execution  is  ad- 
mirable, whatever  may  be  said  of  the  perspective. 
A  very  favourite  flower  in  the  decoration  and  carvings 
of  this  temple  is  the  tree  peony,  which  competes 
for  distinction  in  these  designs  with  the  imperial 
chrysanthemum.  One  hall  was  surrounded  with 
representations  of  flocks  of  geese  in  every  conceivable 
position  on  a  gold  ground.  All  these  paintings, 
perfectly  preserved  as  they  are,  seem  to  have  been 
painted,  not  on  the  panels,  but  on  paper  which  has 
been  afterwards  glued  to  the  panels.  One  could 
not  but  regret  that  the  effect  of  this  magnificent 
group  of  buildings,  whose  architecture  is  so  charac- 
teristic, is  somewhat  marred  by  a  large  adjacent 
structure,  which  has  recently  been  erected  in  what 
is  imagined  to  be  European  style.  These  buildings 
are  a  college  for  young  priests,  and  also  a  girls' 
school,  the  intention  being  to  supply  a  liberal 
education  on  modern  lines,  combined  with  training 
in  the  reformed  Buddhism. 

Close  by  this  temple  is  another  cathedral  edifice, 
the  eastern  Hongwanji,  which  is  as  yet  unfinished, 


202 


RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 


although  it  has  been  thirty  years  in  rebuilding  after 
the  destruction  of  the  ancient  temple  by  fire.  When 
completed  it  will  be  the  largest  temple  in  Japan,  and 
it  differs  from  almost  every  other  temple  in  having 
its  walls  of  massive  masonry.  Before  it  is  finished, 
it  is  computed  that  it  will  have  cost  about  a  million 


A   JAPANESE   LADY. 


dollars.  Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  decay  of 
Buddhism  in  general,  there  is  certainly  life  and  zeal 
in  the  Hongwanji  sect,  if  we  may  judge  by  the 
voluntary  offerings  given  not  only  by  the  rich,  but 
by  the  poor,  and  that  through  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  nation.  Many  of  the  poorest  have  given  both 


A   SECOND   VISIT   TO    KIOTO  203 

their  personal  labour  and  gifts  of  material.  Amongst 
the  most  remarkable  evidences  of  devotion  are  the 
contributions  of  something  like  250,000  women,  who 
gave  their  hair  as  an  offering  to  Buddha,  to  make 
the  ropes  employed  in  hoisting  the  great  stones  of 
the  outer  walls  into  their  places.  We  saw  fifty-three 
of  these  ropes  of  rich  glossy  black  hair,  each  two  spans 
in  circumference.  I  am  unable  to  state  the  length 
of  each,  but  should  think  it  was  probably  forty  or 
fifty  feet.  When  we  know  how  the  women  of  the 
country  prize  their  hair,  and  the  pains  they  take  in 
arranging  their  rich  black  tresses,  we  cannot  but 
recognise  the  devoted  zeal  which  has  impelled  them 
to  such  a  sacrifice.  I  should  add  that  this  temple 
has  been  built  without  any  subvention  from  the 
state.  The  carvings  of  the  ceiling  and  of  the  cornices, 
which  were  in  course  of  execution,  certainly  show 
no  falling  off  in  the  boldness  and  accuracy  of 
Japanese  art. 

But  I  will  not  weary  my  readers  by  the  monotonous 
iteration  of  descriptions  of  Japanese  temples,  which 
are  so  uniform  in  general  character.  Our  second  day's 
sojourn  we  devoted  to  lionising  the  east  side  of  Kioto. 
Here  the  city  extends  close  to  the  foot  of  a  mountain 
range,  which  is  densely  wooded  to  the  bottom.  It 
forms,  in  fact,  a  background  rising  immediately  from 
the  termination  of  the  streets.  Buried  among  the 
trees,  high  up  and  low  down,  are  countless  temples. 
Crowds  of  pilgrims,  with  their  palmer's  dress  and  great 
umbrella  hat ;  beggar  children  whining  after  us,  '  The 
eating  thing  I  cannot  do,'  meaning  that  they  have 


OF 

UNIVEI 


204  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

nothing  to  eat,  and  are  ready  for  donations,  fill  every 
path.  Walking  up  by  the  side  of  a  cyclopean  wall, 
we  turned  to  see  the  celebrated  Daibutsu  (great 
Buddha),  whose  sacred  enclosure  is  surrounded  by  this 
magnificent  masonry.  The  Daibutsu  owes  its  origin  to 
the  hero  Hideyoshi,  a  little  more  than  three  hundred 
years  ago.  It  has  unfortunately  more  than  once  been 
destroyed  by  fire  and  earthquake,  the  two  enemies  of 
historic  monuments  in  Japan.  The  original  image 
was  of  bronze,  destroyed  by  an  earthquake.  The 
present,  a  wooden  one,  which  is  only  a  hundred  years 
old,  consists  simply  of  the  head  and  shoulders  of  the 
sage.  Some  idea  of  its  colossal  size  may  be  gained 
by  a  statement  of  the  measurements,  the  height  of 
the  image  being  60  feet,  the  face  30  feet  long,  the 
eyebrows  8  feet,  and  the  shoulders  43  feet  across. 
Gigantic  as  it  is,  if  one  can  examine  it  from  a  sufficient 
distance,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  conventional  placidity 
of  expression  is  most  perfectly  rendered.  Outside  is 
hung  the  great  bell,  weighing  over  60  tons,  and  one 
of  the  largest  in  Japan. 

In  another  temple,  the  Sanju-Sangendo,  con- 
taining 33,333  images  of  Kwannon,  the  goddess  of 
mercy,  are  long  corridors.  There  are  1,001  images 
of  the  goddess,  life-size,  and  all  gilded,  placed 
tier  behind  tier.  They  are  all  the  work  of  artists 
celebrated  in  history,  and  it  is  boasted  that  in  not  one 
of  the  thousand  and  one  are  the  face  or  position  of 
the  hands  or  arrangement  of  the  articles  that  they 
hold  identical.  The  differences,  however,  are  often 
very  slight.  The  number  33,333  is  made  up  by 


A   SECOND   VISIT   TO   KIOTO  207 

reckoning  all  the  smaller  figures  which  are  in  the 
ornamentation,  especially  those  on  the  gilded  haloes 
which  surround  each  head.  In  the  centre  of  the 
temple  is  a  large  seated  figure  of  Kwannon,  sur- 
rounded by  eight-and-twenty  of  her  traditional 
followers.  In  the  days  of  archery,  the  great  triumph 
of  a  Japanese  bowman  was  to  be  able  to  send  an  arrow 
from  one  end  to  the  other  of  the  verandah  of  this 
building.  The  cost  of  the  statues  of  this  temple  must 
be  fabulous. 

Near  this  is  a  Shinto  temple,  without  any 
images,  but  with  the  shrine  simply  occupied  by 
a  large  mirror,  encircled  by  two  wreaths  of  white 
paper.  To  see  the  immense  variety  of  temples  on 
this  mountain  side,  devoted  to  all  kinds  of  hideous 
idols,  to  incarnations  of  Buddha,  to  gods  of  thunder, 
rain,  wealth,  pleasure,  to  the  gods  of  every  kind  of 
disease,  gives  some  idea"  of  the  strange  divergence  of 
practical  Buddhism  from  the  ideal  theories  which  are 
propounded  as  Buddhism  in  the  West.  The  children's 
Buddhist  temple  is  worthy  of  a  visit.  It  contains  any 
number  of  small  wooden  Buddhas,  arranged  in  shelves 
sloping  back,  tier  over  tier,  and  covered  with  the 
baby  clothes  of  infants  who  have  died  under  a  year 
old.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  and  beautiful  .of 
these  temples,  that  of  Kiyomigu,  is  a  vast  structure 
erected  on  a  great  framework,  leaning,  as  it  were, 
against  the  steep  side  of  the  mountain.  The  frame- 
work, as  will  be  seen  from  the  illustration  on  page  199, 
is  many  storeys  high,  and  the  roof  is  thatched.  It  is 
on  one  side  of  the  ravine,  with  a  similar  but  smaller 


208  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

temple  facing  it  on  the  other  side.  Looking  down 
from  the  platform,  this  dell  gives  the  impression  of 
a  veritable  abyss.  Wide  corridors  encircle  the  temple 
on  all  four  sides.  The  outer  court  is  merely  separated 
from  them  by  the  supporting  columns  of  the  roof,  so 
that  it  is  practically  one  vast  open  hall.  At  the  further 
end  is  a  long  matted  corridor,  and  within  that  the 
holy  of  holies,  which  contains  the  shrines,  and  where 
lights  are  kept  burning.  We  had  just  left  this  temple 
when  an  unexpected  rainfall  drove  us  into  a  pagoda, 
which  we  could  ascend,  and  under  the  verandah  of  the 
upper  storey  we  opened  our  lunch  bag  and  rested, 
with  the  magnificent  panorama  of  the  city  and  its 
plain  in  front.  I  could  not  regret  that  our  temple- 
trotting  was  arrested  by  the  rain,  for  two  days  of 
countless  Buddhas  and  thousands  of  Kwannons  had 
pretty  well  exhausted  me,  and  even  the  finest  works 
of  art  when  too  often  repeated  become  monotonous. 

As  a  contrast  to  the  temple-covered  mountain, 
next  day  we  rode  to  the  Doshisha,  the  earliest  and 
greatest  missionary  educational  institution  in  Japan, 
and  of  which  the  famous  Joseph  Neeshima,  one  of 
the  earliest  and  most  eminent  of  Japanese  Christians, 
was  principal  until  his  death,  the  year  before  our  visit. 
It  was  founded  in  1875  by  the  American  Board  of 
Missions.  I  little  expected  to  find  so  vast  a  col- 
lection of  buildings.  The  grounds  and  halls  cover 
many  acres.  There  is  a  fine  lofty  chapel,  a  library 
of  three  thousand  English  volumes,  halls  and  schools 
for  theoretical  and  practical  chemistry,  physical  science 
lecture  halls  with  splendid  apparatus,  dining  halls, 


A   SECOND    VISIT   TO    KIOTO  211 

a  theological  department ;  all  separate  buildings 
in  Western,  not  Japanese  style,  none  of  them 
excepting  the  chapel  having  any  architectural  pre- 
tensions. There  are  also  dormitories  for  four  hundred 
students,  professors'  houses  and  gardens ;  in  fact,  a 
complete  university  in  itself.  The  chemistry  hall 
was  built  and  furnished  in  1890  by  the  gift  of 
$100,000  from  an  American  visitor,  and  another 
$100,000  was  recently  left  it  for  the  encouragement 
of  physical  studies  by  a  Boston  Unitarian.  The 
larger  part  of  the  students  are  non-Christian,  but 
under  Christian  influences  and  teaching  many  are 
continually  seeking  baptism.  The  theological  schools 
are  very  well  organised.  Dr.  Gordon,  the  senior 
professor,  took  us  over  every  department,  and  asked 
the  native  principal,  Mr.  Neeshima's  successor,  to 
meet  us  at  dinner.  This  is  a  grand  piece  of  mis- 
sionary work  on  a  large  scale,  and  quite  equal  in 
its  educational  equipment  to  the  Jesuit  College  of 
Tou-se-we,  near  Shanghai. 

We  also  visited  the  training  college  for  nurses, 
which  is  under  the  management  of  the  same  mission. 
The  hospital  is  small,  but  is  large  enough  for  its 
purpose,  which  is  simply  the  training  of  nurses,  and  all 
the  probationers  as  well  as  the  nurses  are  Christians. 

One  can  hardly  speak  of  the  Doshisha  without 
referring  to  the  story  of  Joseph  Neeshima's  life.  Long 
before  the  opening  of  Japan  to  either  commerce  or 
Christianity,  Neeshima  somehow  got  hold  of  a 
Chinese  geography  book  compiled  for  a  mission 
school,  and  beginning  with  the  words,  (  In  the  begin- 

P  2 


212  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

ning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth/  To 
the  Buddhist  student,  who  had  never  known  any 
other  faith,  this  was  a  startling  discovery.  What 
could  it  mean  ?  Who  was  that  God  ?  Certainly  He 
did  not  live  in  Japan.  Perhaps  He  might  live  in 
America,  whence  the  author  of  the  book  came.  So 
at  the  peril  of  his  life,  for  it  was  at  that  time  death 
for  a  Japanese  to  leave  his  country,  he  made  his  way 
in  a  trader  to  China,  and  thence  obtained  a  passage 
to  Boston.  Then  he  explained  his  errand  to  the 
captain  who  had  brought  him.  '  I  came  all  this  way,' 
said  he,  '  to  find  God,  and  there  is  no  one  to  tell  me/ 
The  captain  took  him  to  the  owner,  a  wealthy  Chris- 
tian merchant,  who  received  him  as  a  son,  and  sent 
him  to  college.  Eleven  years  afterwards,  in  1875, 
he  returned  to  Japan  as  a  missionary  under  the 
American  Board,  and  became  president  of  the 
Doshisha  College,  just  then  founded. 

This  Doshisha  was  the  earliest  college  for  higher 
education  in  Kioto,  but  after  some  years  was 
followed  by  one  of  the  three  upper  grade  colleges 
maintained  by  the  government,  originally  established 
in  Osaka,  but  later  removed  to  Kioto.  Its  buildings 
are  in  another  suburb  of  the  city,  and  though  useful, 
are  certainly  not  ornamental.  It  has  often  perplexed 
me  why  the  Japanese,  whose  taste  both  in  art  and 
dress  is  perfect  in  their  own  style,  when  they  attempt 
foreign  style,  whether  it  be  in  dress  or  architecture, 
not  only  do  not  approach  the  beautiful,  but  generally 
achieve  the  absolutely  ugly.  We  had  here  the  advan- 
tage of  being  the  guests  of  Professor  Sharpe,  who  is 


A   SECOND   VISIT   TO    KIOTO  213 

pronounced  by  the  Japanese  to  be  the  best  English 
professor  in  Japan,  and  whose  warm  hospitality,  rich 
fund  of  information  and  cultured  criticism  made  our 
visit  one  of  the  most  charming  reminiscences  of  the 
tour. 

The  passion  for  industrial  exhibitions  has  reached 
Japan,  or  probably,  a  patriot  would  tell  us,  originated 
there.  The  Imperial  Exhibition  at  Kioto,  just  now 
open,  was  a  very  European  looking  affair,  and  practi- 
cally nothing  but  a  great  bazaar.  Its  great  attraction 
was  that  the  purchaser  of  a  ticket  for  admission  could 
through  it  obtain  admission  to  what  are  called  the 
Gardens  of  the  Empress,  and  for  visiting  which  this 
ticket  was  indispensable.  The  Mikado  by  this  con- 
cession very  substantially  patronised  the  exhibition, 
and  ensured  its  success.  My  visit  to  it  gave  me  an 
opportunity  of  purchasing  at  very  little  cost  small 
sets  of  tools  of  the  various  trades,  carpenters,  book- 
binders, engravers,  etc.,  which  by  their  striking  origin- 
ality and  contrast  with  our  own  are  most  valuable 
illustrations  of  Japanese  art.  As  Kioto  is  a  great 
centre  for  porcelain  manufacture,  we  had  oppor- 
tunities of  watching  parts  of  the  process  of  production, 
and  of  laying  in  a  store  of  choice  vases  for  wedding 
presents.  The  part  of  the  building  best  worth  a  visit 
was  the  department  illustrative  of  the  silk  and  em- 
broidery manufacture,  in  which  also  Kioto  is  pre- 
eminent. Scarfs,  silk  handkerchiefs  and  embroideries 
for  screens  of  great  delicacy  and  richness,  in  which  I 
suppose  Japan  is  unrivalled,  must  extract  from  any 
visitor  of  taste  his  last  available  yen. 


214  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

The  Empress'  Gardens,  so  named  because  they  are 
attached  to  what  was  formerly  the  palace  of  the 
empress,  are  still  at  ordinary  times  looked  on  as  the 
emperor's  private  grounds,  and  not  at  all  as  a  public 
park.  There  is  no  great  variety  of  flowers  or  shrubs, 
but  the  labyrinths,  artificial  liliputian  mountains, 
ornamental  waters,  and  lovely  shaded  walks  with 
noble  trees  most  artistically  arranged,  are  its  special 
features.  Four  wonderful  specimens  of  wistaria,  now 
one  blaze  of  blossom,  shaded  the  whole  length  of  a 
very  long  bridge  across  an  artificial  lake.  The 
wistaria  at  home  I  should  be  almost  inclined  to  place 
before  the  cherry  as  the  brightest  floral  glory  of 
Japan.  One  seldom  sees  it  in  such  masses  as  in  this 
garden  ;  but  it  is  abundant  in  all  the  forests,  where 
its  effect  as  it  shoots  its  climbing  branches  from  tree 
to  tree,  laden  and  apparently  weighed  down  with 
rich  purple  clusters  of  bloom,  contrasts  magnificently 
with  the  azaleas,  red,  white  and  pink,  below  it.  Nor 
is  its  effect  less  when,  in  the  absence  of  forest  tree  to 
support  it,  it  contents  itself  with  forming  a  massive 
shrub  not  unlike  a  luxuriant  blackberry  in  its  mode 
of  growth. 

We  gave  one  day  to  rather  a  long  expedition  to 
the  mountain  known  as  Hieizan.  The  slopes  of  this 
mountain  supply  the  favourite  summer  camping- 
ground  of  residents  of  Kioto  and  Osaka.  Knowing 
it  would  be  a  long  day's  work,  we  took  kurumas  to 
the  mountain  foot.  It  was  indeed  a  hot  climb  up  the 
rugged  path.  We  reached  a  summit,  and  at  first 
fancied  we  had  won  our  goal ;  but  no,  it  was  not  the 


A   SECOND   VISIT   TO    KIOTO  217 

summit.  That  was  three  miles  further  on.  Fatiguing 
as  the  further  climb  was,  the  view  of  valleys  on 
either  side,  and  Kioto  below  us,  its  temples  and 
gardens  sprawling  over  a  vast  extent  of  plain,  and 
wooded  hills  fringing  the  landscape  beyond,  with  a 
peep  of  Lake  Biwa,  well  repaid  us.  There  was  a  little 
rest-shed  on  the  way,  but  so  full  of  rough  men  and 
boys  that  we  were  glad  to  find  a  pine-tree,  which 
afforded  some  shade  on  the  side  of  what  was  almost 
a  precipice,  where  we  contrived  to  sit  and  rest  and 
enjoy  the  prospect  as  we  lunched.  I  think  the 
entomology  on  this  mountain  was  the  most  varied  I 
met  with  in  the  country. 

Mount  Hieizan  also  was  the  scene  of  many 
of  the  exploits  of  Benkei,  the  Japanese  Samson. 
According  to  the  legend,  he  was  eight  feet  high,  and 
as  strong  as  a  hundred  men.  One  of  his  feats  was  to 
carry  a  great  temple  bell  up  the  mountain,  but  on 
reaching  the  summit  the  bell  continuously  cried  out, 
1 1  want  to  go  back,  I  want  to  go  back,'  whereupon  he 
let  it  go  rolling  down  to  the  mountain  foot,  where  it 
may  now  be  seen  suspended  in  a  temple  In  proof 
of  the  truth  of  the  story,  they  -show  us  the  ravine 
which  was  ploughed  out  by  the  bell  in  its  course  from 
the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  mountain.  On  the 
mountain,  amongst  others,  are  two  temples  connected 
with  each  other  by  an  arched  gallery.  The  legend  of 
these  is  that  this  was  the  yoke  which  Benkei  wore 
on  his  shoulders,  and  by  which  he  carried  the  twin 
temples  and  set  them  down  where  they  now  stand. 

During  the  Middle  Ages  Hieizan  was  the  sacred 


218  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

mountain  of  Japanese  Buddhism,  and  tradition  raises 
the  number  of  the  temples  which  covered  it  to  three 
thousand,  containing  many  thousand  warrior  priests, 
who  were  nothing  less  than  organised  banditti,  and 
were  in  the  habit  of  making  plundering  excursions 
into  the  neighbouring  country,  taking  part  in  the 
petty  tribal  wars  of  the  different  Daimios.  It  was 
not  till  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  that 
these  monks,  the  terror  of  Kioto,  were  driven  out  of 
their  strongholds,  and  all  their  temples  and  buildings 
burnt  by  the  Shoguns.  A  century  later  the  Toku- 
gawa  Shoguns  allowed  the  monasteries  to  be  re- 
established, but  strictly  limited  their  number.  The 
mountain  still  has  a  special  sanctity,  and  until 
recently  there  was  a  notice  at  its  foot,  '  No  woman  or 
cow  permitted  to  ascend  this  mountain.'  Near  the 
summit  are  the  impression  of  two  colossal  feet  carved 
in  the  rock,  held  by  the  devout  to  be  the  impression 
of  Buddha's  feet  wThen  he  descended  to  visit  Japan. 
Its  sanctity,  however,  did  not  prevent  my  securing  a 
very  fair  take  of  butterflies,  which  were  flitting  about 
as  innocent  as  myself  of  the  veneration  expected  of 
pilgrims  to  these  sacred  heights,  and  were  most 
interesting,  as  many  of  them  represent  our  familiar 
English  forms  of  Vanessas,  tortoise-shells,  and 
fritillaries  ;  though,  contrary  to  what  happens  in  the 
case  of  mammals,  the  Japanese  species  seems  to  be 
always  larger  and  finer  than  their  European  congeners. 
As  the  Mikado  and  his  suite  were  at  Kioto  at  the 
period  of  our  first  visit,  we  were  not  able  to  see  the 
private  apartments  of  the  palace,  but  felt  it  was  fully 


A   SECOND    VISIT   TO    KIOTO  219 

worth  while  when  at  Osaka  some  weeks  later  to  run 
over  on  purpose  to  inspect  them,  and  well  were  we 
rewarded.  A  tall  monotonous  wall,  covered  with 
stucco  and  roofed  with  thatch,  surrounds  the  park 
in  which  the  cluster  of  buildings  forming  the  palace 
stand.  There  are  several  gates,  the  centre  one  being 
never  opened  but  for  the  Mikado  himself.  Passing 
the  sentries  and  presenting  our  letter,  we  were 
admitted  to  a  lodge  within  the  gate,  where  we  were 
met  by  a  most  courteous  gentleman  and  old  official  of 
the  Mikado,  evidently  a  man  of  liberal  education — a 
sort  of  hereditary  chamberlain,  as  we  presumed  from 
his  telling  us  that  he  succeeded  his  father  in  atten- 
dance on  the  late  Mikado,  and  with  natural  pride  he 
pointed  out  to  us,  as  we  passed  through  the  palace, 
his  own  portrait  in  a  large  wall  painting  representing 
a  grand  annual  procession.  After  signing  our  names 
in  a  large  register,  he  conducted  us  across  the  grounds, 
which  are  beautifully  kept  in  native  fashion,  to  the 
reception-hall,  only  used  on  state  occasions  and 
festivals.  The  panels  are  covered  with  paintings, 
but  the  best  pictures  have  been  removed  to  Tokio, 
as  the  emperor  does  not  often  reside  here.  Here  we 
were  shown  the  Mikado's  throne,  with  canopy  and 
rich  curtains  of  white,  red,  and  black  silk,  within 
which  the  emperor  used  to  be  seated  on  a  mat.  The 
imperial  badge  of  the  chrysanthemum  with  sixteen 
petals  was  worked  in  everywhere,  in  cornices  and 
curtains,  and  seemed  to  be  repeated  wherever  there 
was  space  to  receive  it.  Yet  with  all  this,  there  was 
a  strange  air  of  desolation  about  these  cold  and 


220  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

silent  chambers.  In  a  second  and  much  larger  hall 
was  a  more  modern  throne,  in  which  the  emperor  sat 
in  a  chair,  enclosed  in  curtains  of  the  richest  silk, 
which  only  permitted  his  feet  to  be  seen. 

In  front  of  this  throne  is  a  flight  of  eighteen  wide 
steps  leading  to  the  great  court  below.  Each  of  the 
steps  corresponded  to  a  particular  rank  of  the  old 
nobility.  Officials  not  noble  were  obliged  to  stand 
on  the  earth  below  the  lowest  step,  and  great  were 
the  heartburnings  amongst  the  Daimios,  and  many 
the  feuds  engendered,  by  one  obtaining  a  higher 
grade  than  another  on  this  staircase  of  rank.  A  long 
corridor  led  from  this  hall  to  the  library  or  study  of 
the  palace,  a  very  fine  room  with  priceless  lacquer 
boxes  arranged  on  shelves  to  hold  the  emperor's 
books. 

Our  charming  guide  told  us  that  he  spent  many 
hours  a  day  with  the  late  emperor  here  in  his 
study,  for  he  was  a  great  student  and  very  fond  of 
geography.  Though  never  able  to  go  beyond  the 
grounds  of  the  palace,  he  was  most  curious  as  to 
what  went  on  in  the  outside  world,  and  used  to  ask 
all  sorts  of  questions  from  his  courtiers  and  atten- 
dants. Practically,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two 
annual  processions,  in  which  he  was  concealed,  he 
never  could  go  beyond  the  thirty  acres  of  ground 
that  composed  the  park  and  gardens  of  his  palace. 
What  an  idea  of  gilded  misery  that  palace  gives  one  ! 
The  private  chambers  of  the  old  Mikados,  separated 
from  the  great  hall,  and  the  sliding  screens  of  which 
were  richly  decorated,  consist  of  eleven  rooms,  in 


A   SECOND   VISIT   TO    KIOTO  221 

which  for  six  hundred  years  the  successive  Mikados 
have  lived  and  died.  The  ordinary  sitting-room  was 
surrounded  by  the  apartments  of  his  female  atten- 
dants, through  whom  alone  a  message  could  be  taken 
to  him,  when  he  passed  to  a  room  at  the  other  end, 
where  he  received  his  officials.  Behind  this  are  nine 
handsome  bedrooms,  with  richly  painted  panels,  the 
centre  one  being  the  emperor's,  so  that  he  is  carefully 
secluded  ab  night,  as  in  the  day.  Our  courtier  guide 
told  my  daughter  anecdotes  of  the  late  Mikado,  and 
expressed  his  satisfaction  at  having  for  once  to  con- 
duct a  visitor  who  could  converse  in  Japanese,  as  he 
generally  had  to  go  through  his  explanations  in 
pantomime,  for  no  guides  or  servants  are  permitted 
to  cross  the  gates. 

Our  courteous  friend  told  us  that  we  ought  to  see 
the  Castle  of  Nijo,  or  old  Shogun's  palace,  to  see  which 
he  would  give  us  a  letter  to  the  chamberlain  there. 
We  parted  with  much  ceremony,  and  when  we  told 
our  men  to  take  us  to  the  castle  they  demurred, 
telling  us  it  was  of  no  use.  We  evidently  rose  in 
their  estimation  when  on  presenting  our  letter  the 
sentry  let  us  pass.  A  stately  official  received  the 
document  with  a  profound  reverence,  and  preceded 
us  within  the  precincts.  Certainly  the  best  had  been 
kept  to  the  last.  It  is  by  far  the  most  palatial  palace 
we  had  seen,  surpassing  Nagoya,  with  lavish  decora- 
tions and  gilding  everywhere,  but  all  in  the  best  taste. 
It  is  larger  than  the  palace,  except  for  the  great 
audience  hall,  and  certainly  the  Shogun  took  care  of 
himself  at  his  superior's  expense.  Instead  of  the 


222  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

eighteen  steps  for  the  various  ranks  in  the  Mikado's 
palace,  there  were  seven  steps,  on  which  according  to 
their  rank  the  highest  Daimios  could  stand.  The 
minor  Daimios  could  not  stand  even  on  the  lowest  of 
these.  It  was  very  interesting  to  hear  the  account 
of  all  these  old-world  ceremonials  from  those  who  had 
themselves  taken  part  in  them.  All  the  walls  and 
ceilings  were  painted  in  panels,  the  series  of  subjects 
differing  for  each  room  and  wonderfully  ingenious. 
We  may  remark  that  its  decorations  are  on  a  much 
larger  and  vaster  scale  than  those  I  have  seen  else- 
where in  the  country.  Each  hall  is  named  from  the 
subject  of  its  decoration.  In  the  tiger  hall  there  are 
perhaps  a  dozen  tigers  in  different  attitudes,  and 
both  the  animals  and  the  plants  of  the  jungle  are  all 
represented  life-size,  as  are  the  eagles  and  peacocks 
in  other  rooms.  Everywhere  was  to  be  seen  the 
gilt  trefoil  crest  of  the  Tokugawa  Shoguns,  except  in 
the  one  suite  reserved  for  the  Mikado,  when  once  a 
year  he  came  to  visit  him,  and  there  the  gold 
chrysanthemum  is  on  every  hinge  and  handle  and 
panel.  We  were  delighted  with  this  grand  old 
feudal  castle.  It  is  not  a  little  amusing  to  observe  the 
different  opinions  that  are  given  concerning  it.  One 
guide  book  describes  it  as  '  an  old  and  dingy  build- 
ing '  ;  another,  as  I  venture  to  think  much  more  truly, 
says,  '  This  palace,  a  dream  of  golden  beauty  within, 
is  externally  a  good  example  of  the  Japanese  fortress, 
with  its  turrets  at  the  corners  and  its  walls  of 
cyclopean  masonry.  It  is,  however,  only  a  fraction 
of  its  former  self/ 


225 


CHAPTER    VII 

OSAKA 

FROM  Kioto  to  Osaka,  from  Edinburgh  to  Glasgow, 
from  history,  arts,  and  literature  to  commerce  and 
manufactures  !  The  train  winds  amongst  hills  for  a 
few  miles,  then  for  the  rest  of  the  way  down  the 
valley  of  the  Yodogawa,  through  paddy  fields  as 
uninteresting  as  Chatmoss.  From  the  top  of  a  hill 
midway  between  Kioto  and  Osaka  both  cities  are 
plainly  visible.  A  propos  of  this  view,  I  may  give  an 
illustration  of  the  Japanese  ^Esop.  Once  upon  a 
time  an  Osaka  frog,  having  heard  the  fame  of  the 
beauties  of  Kioto,  thought  he  could  not  do  better  than 
migrate  thither.  Another  frog  resident  in  Kioto 
heard  wonderful  tales  of  the  bustle  and  liveliness  of 
Osaka,  and  wearied  of  Kioto,  determined  to  change 
his  home.  Meeting  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  each 
hoped  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  paradise  to  which  he 
was  bound,  they  raised  themselves  up  full  of  eager 
expectation,  forgetting  that  in  that  posture  a  frog 
looks  backward.  '  Well,  really,'  said  the  dweller 
among  the  Osaka  swamps,  '  Kioto  looks  uncommonly 
like  Osaka,  and  every  bit  as  flat.  I  could  not  do 
better  than  go  home  again.'  '  So  that  is  Osaka/ 
exclaimed  the  resident  of  the  capital  ;  '  how  wonder- 

Q 


226  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

fully  similar  it  is  to  Kioto  !  I  don't  see  that  I 
should  be  the  gainer  by  proceeding.'  And  both  frogs 
returned  home  well  satisfied,  and  with  no  desire  to 
pursue  their  acquaintance  with  the  outer  wor]d. 
Moral — Don't  look  at  everything  through  your  own 
spectacles. 

Osaka,  with  a  population  of  nearly  half  a  million, 
is  the  second  city  in  the  empire,  and  whilst  being 
the  Manchester  of  Japan,  is  at  the  same  time  an 
ancient  city,  and  first  came  into  prominence  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  when  Hideyoshi,  who  has  been 
called  the  Napoleon  of  Japan,  made  it  his  fortress  and 
capital.  But  he  has  greater  claims  on  the  respect  and 
admiration  of  Europe  than  even  his  development  of 
the  commerce  of  Osaka  and  his  extension  of  the 
Japanese  empire,  for  amongst  many  wise  measures 
of  internal  policy  he  gave  toleration  to  the  Christians, 
and  it  was  under  his  rule  that  the  Eoman  Catholic 
missions  were  spread  over  the  whole  country.  His 
favourite  general  and  many  of  his  best  troops  were 
Christians,  and  with  them  he  invaded  and  endeavoured 
to  conquer  Corea,  as  a  step  to  the  subjugation  of 
China.  He  succeeded  in  utterly  crushing  the  inde- 
pendence and  also,  alas  !  the  civilisation  of  Corea,  but 
failed  to  make  any  impression  upon  the  Flowery 
Land.  Since  his  invasion  of  Corea,  although  after 
his  death  the  Japanese  troops  were  withdrawn,  the 
peninsula  seems  to  have  sunk  into  still  lower  depths 
of  degradation ;  and  the  nation  which  was  once  the 
instructress  of  Japan  in  art,  and  the  masterpieces 
of  some  of  whose  artists  still  exist,  has  sunk  to  such 


OSAKA  227 

a   state   as   to   have    earned    from    a  'recent    well 
known  traveller  the  character  of  being  the  dregs  of 
humanity. 

The  Castle  of  Osaka,  which  still  exists,  was  com- 
menced by  Hideyoshi  in  1583,  and  was  completed  in 
two  years.  It  was  said  to  be  the  strongest  fortress 
in  the  country,  as  the  palace  which  it  coDtained  was  the 
most  magnificent.  The  encircling  wall  and  the  sides 
of  the  moat  are  composed  of  masonry  twenty  feet  thick, 
in  the  cyclopean  style,  without  mortar  and  with  no 
filling  in,  but  solid  throughout.  The  finest  specimens 
of  these  huge  stones  are  near  the  principal  gateway. 
There  is  an  amusing  tradition  of  the  stratagem  by 
which  Hideyoshi  obtained  his  materials  cheaply.  He 
proclaimed  over  the  whole  country  his  intention  of 
building  this  fortress,  and  announced  an  enormous 
prize  to  be  given  to  the  man  who  should  produce  the 
largest  stone.  The  prize  was  great  enough  to  tempt 
all  classes,  from  the  greatest  Daimios  downwards, 
and  the  largest  junks  that  could  be  obtained 
were  despatched  from  every  part  of  the  empire 
freighted  with  massive  fragments  of  rock  to  the 
harbour  of  Osaka.  In  due  time  the  prize  was 
awarded,  but  to  only  one  amongst  many  hundred 
competitors.  The  unsuccessful  rivals  were  told  they 
might  carry  their  stones  back  again,  but  this  permis- 
sion, not  being  remunerative,  was  not  taken  advantage 
of,  and  Hideyoshi  obtained  materials  and  carriage 
free  of  cost.  The  castle  was  captured  thirty  years 
after  its  erection  by  lyeyasu,  and  its  memory  must 
be  ever  preserved  as  that  of  the  place  where  in  1868 

Q  2 


228  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

lyeyasu's  descendant,  the  last  of  the  Tokugawa 
Shoguns,  received  the  members  of  the  foreign  legations 
and  for  the  last  time  exercised  the  usurped  imperial 
power. 

Compelled  to  abandon  it  the  same  year,  the 
Shogun's  retainers  before  departing  set  it  on  fire,  and 
in  a  few  hours  the  grandest  building  in  Japan  was  a 
heap  of  smouldering  ruins.  The  fortifications  now 
serve  as  the  headquarters  of  the  military  district, 
and  an  artillery  depot  and  barracks  have  been  erected 
on  the  site  of  the  ancient  keep  or  donjon,  the  one 
remaining  feature  of  which  is  a  deep  and  copious 
well  capable  of  supplying  the  whole  garrison  in  time 
of  siege. 

From  the  summit  we  had  an  unbroken  view 
of  the  whole  of  this  Oriental  Venice,  with  its  six 
hundred  bridges  and  canals,  a  complete  network,  and 
the  plain  beyond,  bounded  by  two  ranges  of  hills. 
The  number  of  tall  factory  chimneys  standing  out  in 
the  distance  were  a  striking  contrast  to  the  gardens 
which  varied  a  similar  panorama  of  Kioto,  and  were 
certainly  not  congruous  with  the  associations  of  the 
historic  ramparts  within  which  we  were  standing. 
One  fact  of  interest  in  connection  with  the  Castle  of 
Osaka  is  that  here  for  the  last  time  the  national 
practice  of  harakiri,  or  suicide,  was  permitted  as  a 
favour  to  criminals  of  honourable  birth  in  lieu  of 
lecapitation.  Twelve  Samurai,  who  were  sentenced 
to  death  for  the  murder  of  a  French  sailor,  claimed 
this  privilege  in  1868. 

With  the  castle  we  have  done  with  the  historic 


OSAKA  229 

features  of  Osaka  ;  for  its  popular  sights — the  mint, 
the  match  factories,  the  cotton  mills,  the  iron 
foundries,  the  timber  yards — attractive  though  they 
may  be  to  the  merchant,  are  not  what  we  have 
crossed  three  oceans  to  see. 

But  one  temple  should  be  mentioned,  Tennoji,  a 
large  group  of  buildings  in  fine,  park-like  grounds, 
one  of  which  is  the  children's  temple.  At  its  shrine 
were  hundreds  of  children's  clothes,  hanging  from 
ceiling  to  floor  on  pegs  and  on  little  figures  of 
Buddha,  and  babies'  bibs  covered  the  bell-ropes. 
These  were  all  the  garments  of  deceased  infants 
offered  by  the  mothers.  A  priest  sitting  on  a  mat 
gives  the  bereaved  mother,  for  a  fee,  a  shaving  of 
wood  with  the  name  of  the  dead  child  written  on  it. 
This  she  takes  to  another  shrine,  where  is  a  pool  of 
water  issuing  from  the  mouth  of  a  colossal  stone 
tortoise.  The  pool  is  full  of  these  slips.  They  are 
cast  into  it  just  where  the  water  pours  in  from  the 
tortoise's  mouth,  and  happy  is  the  woman  whose  slip 
gets  well  soaked  at  once.  It  is  believed  that  this 
will  ensure  the  child  an  easy  passage  to  heaven,  as 
the  water  conveys  the  name  to  Buddha,  who  at  once 
calls  for  them  as  he  reads  them. 

To  me,  naturally,  the  attractions  of  Osaka  centred 
in  the  vast  and  successful  missionary  work  which 
is  there  carried  on.  In  the  narrow  district  of  which 
Osaka  is  the  centre,  and  the  population  of  which  is 
over  a  million,  there  are  six  American  missionary 
organizations  at  work  and  one  English,  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  which  has  a  very  complete  and 


230  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

extensive  organization.  All  these  are  working  in 
perfect  harmony  without  the  least  friction,  as  well 
they  may  in  a  city  of  half  a  million,  besides  the 
suburbs.  Besides  these  is  a  French  Roman  Catholic 
mission.  It  may  give  some  idea  of  missionary  life 
here  to  describe  my  experiences  of  Whit  Sunday  at 
Osaka.  I  was  lodged  in  the  Bishop  Poole  Memorial 
School,  a  large  boarding-school  for  giving  higher 
education  on  a  Christian  basis  to  Japanese  girls  of 
the  middle  and  upper  classes,  over  which  my 
daughter  presides,  founded  in  memory  of  Bishop 
Poole,  the  first  Anglican  missionary  bishop.  After 
breakfasting  at  half-past  seven  o'clock,  we  made  our 
way  into  a  very  poor  part  of  the  city,  where  my 
daughter  holds  a  Sunday  school.  We  were  accom- 
panied by  one  of  the  native  teachers  and  three  of 
the  elder  girls,  who  here  take  classes,  and  are  thus 
beginning  to  train  for  missionary  work.  The  school 
was  a  poor  woman's  dwelling-house.  Partitions  had 
all  been  cleared  away,  and  furniture  there  was  none, 
and  thus  the  three  rooms  of  which  the  house  con- 
sisted were  thrown  into  one.  As  soon  as  the  singing 
and  prayer  were  over,  the  teachers  squatted  on  the 
mats,  each  with  her  class  in  a  semicircle.  Some  of 
the  mothers  accompanied  their  children.  It  happened 
that  on  this  very  morning  the  first-fruits  of  this  little 
mission  were  reaped,  when  a  woman  stayed  behind 
and  applied  to  be  prepared  for  baptism,  and  also  to 
bring  to  the  font  her  two  little  children.  She 
accompanied  us  to  the  native  service,  that  she  might 
be  introduced  to  Mr.  Terasawa,  the  native  clergyman, 


OSAKA  233 

as  a  catechumen.  Mr.  Terasawa  is  the  pastor  of 
Trinity  (not  Trinity  Chapel),  our  oldest  native  church, 
a  large,  well-built  structure,  quite  in  the  native 
style,  yet  unmistakably  ecclesiastical.  An  English 
missionary  read  prayers  in  Japanese,  and  Mr.  Tera- 
sawa preached.  There  were  two  adult  baptisms,  one 
the  wife  of  a  judge,  a  leading  man  of  rank  here, 
who  himself  is  also  looking  for  baptism ;  the  other,  a 
clerk  in  a  government  office.  One  of  my  daughter's 
pupils  was  to  be  baptized,  but  as  an  infant,  at  the 
evening  service.  There  were  about  seventy  com- 
municants— more  than  half  the  adult  congregation. 
Service  over,  we  went  by  invitation  to  morning  tea 
ab  the  parsonage  next  door.  Mr.  Terasawa's  wife 
speaks  English  well,  and  her  husband,  though  not 
able  to  converse  fluently,  is  able  to  read  English 
well,  and  had  a  well-selected,  if  small,  English  theo- 
logical library  in  his  quaint  little  study.  I  did  not 
visit  the  afternoon  school,  as  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
joining  in  English  worship  at  Trinity  College,  in  a 
very  neat  college  chapel,  which  would  not  have 
discredited  an  English  university,  and  was  built  from 
the  designs  of  one  of  our  missionaries,  Mr.  Pole.  The 
congregation  numbered  about  fifty,  and  all,  excepting 
the  English  head  of  the  Japanese  Concession  Police, 
belonged  to  the  families  either  of  our  own  or  the 
American  missionaries. 

In  the  evening  I  went  with  Mr.  Fyson,  one 
of  our  pioneer  missionaries,  who  was  to  take  the 
preaching  at  a  mission-room.  This  was  one  kept 
up  by  Miss  Holland,  a  lady  who,  unconnected 


234  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

with  any  society,  devotes  herself,  at  her  own  cost, 
to  helping  mission  work.  She  had  argued  that  in 
a  country  where  the  people  are  not  familiar  with 
the  Sabbath  day's  rest,  there  were  many  who  would 
like  to  hear  something  of  Christianity,  bub  might 
be  told,  '  This  is  not  the  preaching  night,'  and  so 
might  delay  or  forget.  But  if  there  was  preaching 
every  night,  no  chance  would  be  missed.  She  there- 
fore hired  a  house  close  to  some  markets  in  a  very 
busy  street,  put  in  a  harmonium,  got  the  place  new 
matted,  hung  bright  pictures  of  the  Eeligious  Tract 
Society  all  round  the  walls,  got  a  large  lantern,  pro- 
jecting in  front,  with  the  announcement  on  the 
transparent  paper  on  one  side,  '  Teaching  of  Christ 
to-night,'  and  on  the  other  were  depicted  a  cross  and 
a  crown.  She  engaged  an  old  woman  to  look  after 
the  place,  and  open  and  light  it  every  evening.  She 
gets  one  or  two  friends  to  help  her  with  the  singing, 
and  has  managed  to  secure  a  preacher,  native  or 
foreign,  lay  or  cleric,  every  evening  for  months.  For 
some  time,  when  the  venture  was  first  started,  the 
noise  and  jeering  sometimes  almost  stopped  the 
preacher.  But  that  phase,  inevitable  at  the  beginning 
of  every  such  work,  had  nearly  passed  over.  When 
we  arrived  we  found  the  three  matted  rooms  packed 
full,  and  a  crowd  standing  ten  deep  in  the  street. 
After  a  hymn,  started  by  two  English  ladies,  Mr. 
Fyson,  standing  at  the  edge  of  the  room,  held  the 
people  for  over  half  an  hour  by  what  seemed  to  me  a 
torrent  of  eloquence  as  he  spoke  of  Pentecost.  Texts 
on  the  subject,  painted  in  great  letters  on  kakemonos, 


OSAKA  235 

were  hung  in  front,  so  that  all  could  read.  After 
singing  again,  I  too  was  expected  to  speak,  and  a 
more  difficult  task  than  addressing  a  crowd  with  an 
interpreter  I  never  had,  and  I  think  it  is  impossible 
to  be  interesting  under  such  conditions.  There  may 
have  been  two  hundred  listeners,  and  the  meetings 
here  have  already  been  the  means  of  bringing  not  a 
few  into  the  Christian  fold.  There  are  many  such 
preaching-places  in  Osaka,  but  what  are  they  amongst 
half  a  million  ? 

Nor  are  these  efforts  confined  to  the  city  itself. 
I  walked  out  with  my  daughter  one  afternoon  to  a 
similar  meeting  three  miles  from  the  outskirts  of  the 
city,  to  a  so-called  village  of  three  thousand  souls, 
employed  in  making  coarse  pottery  and  farming.  "We 
had  a  most  uninteresting  walk  first  through  narrow 
streets  and  past  factory  chimneys,  and  then  along  a 
raised  path  through  paddy  fields  till  we  reached  a 
broad  river,  and  were  ferried  across  to  the  village. 
As  I  turned  round  I  counted  from  one  spot  sixty-two 
factory  chimneys,  for  this  is  becoming  the  great 
cotton-spinning  centre.  The  use  of  a  house  was 
hired  for  this  weekly  meeting,  to  which  the  head 
teacher  and  three  senior  pupils  went  with  us,  to  carry 
the  picture  and  help  in  the  singing.  The  rooms  of 
the  house  being  thrown  together,  about  sixty  people, 
chiefly  women,  soon  assembled.  Slipping  off  our 
shoes  at  the  door,  we  passed  to  the  inner  end,  which 
was  open  to  the  garden.  A  large  coloured  print  of 
the  Ascension  was  unrolled  and  pinned  up,  and  a 
hymn  was  sung,  only  joined  in  by  the  visitors. 


236  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

Then  the  teacher  spoke  for  half  an  hour,  then  again 
there  was  singing,  which  always  attracts  these  people, 
another  address  from  my  daughter  explaining  the 
Ascension,  and  then  singing  and  prayer  concluded 
the  meeting.  This  is  a  new  mission,  and  there  are 
no  Christians  yet,  but  several  are  interested,  and  the 
people  were  all  very  quiet  and  attentive.  This  is 
the  simple  way  in  which  out-stations  begin,  and  the 
seed  is  sown.  On  our  return  we  halted  at  a  tea- 
house in  a  village  where  there  was  formerly  a  similar 
meeting,  until  the  Buddhist  priest  interfered  and 
threatened  any  one  who  should  lend  their  house  for 
the  purpose.  This  is  the  kind  of  local  opposition 
which  we  must  always  expect  from  time  to  time ;  but 
what  is  this  compared  to  the  resistance  of  the  Irish 
priesthood  ? 

There  being  no  division  of  days  into  weeks  in  this 
country  is  at  first  a  difficulty,  but  for  convenience' 
sake,  since  the  increase  of  foreign  trade,  the  govern- 
ment have  made  Sunday  a  dies  non  in  all  schools, 
government  offices,  and  other  official  places.  But  the 
people  generally  have  hardly  got  familiarised  with 
this,  and  adhere  to  their  old  division  into  ten  days, 
holding  a  night  fair  in  various  parts  of  the  town 
every  fifth  day.  Advantage  is  taken  of  these  even- 
ings for  special  preaching. 

What  is  called  the  Concession  is  a  district  assigned 
to  the  foreigners  in  each  treaty  port  when  the  country 
was  first  opened,  and  where  alone  they  are  allowed  to 
hold  land.  But  as  the  river  at  Osaka  is  much  silted 
up,  and  is  of  no  use  for  ocean-going  vessels,  the  large 


OSAKA 


237 


shipping  has  entirely  deserted  it  and  dropped  down 
to  Kobe,  twenty  miles  off,  which  is  practically  the 
seaport  of  Osaka.  The  merchants,  with  hardly  an 
exception,  have  abandoned  the  large  and  spacious 
houses  which  they  had  built,  till  the  whole  foreign 
population  of  Osaka  is  limited  to  the  various  mission- 
ary bodies,  who  have  had  the  opportunity  of  securing 
quarters  which  they  would  not  have  built  for  them- 
selves. The  principal  English  Mission  institutions, 
besides  the  girls'  school  already  mentioned,  are 
Trinity  College,  for  the  training  of  theological 
students  ;  a  large  boys'  boarding  school,  in  a  distant 
part  of  the  city,  intended  to  provide  for  the  boys  the 
same  style  of  education  which  the  Bishop  Poole 
School  affords  to  their  sisters  ;  and  the  Bible  Women's 
training  home,  a  most  important  part  of  the  work, 
where  not  only  the  women  are  trained  to  be  mission- 
aries to  their  sisters  throughout  the  country,  but 
during  their  training  are  useful  in  the  work  in  Osaka. 
The  boys'  high  school,  which  is  four  miles  from  the 
Concession,  had  not  at  the  time  of  our  visit  been  long 
in  operation  ;  yet,  though  it  has  to  compete  with  the 
government  school,  it  had  at  the  time  of  our  visit, 
besides  day  scholars,  thirty- eight  boarders,  but  is 
calculated  for  the  accommodation  of  a  hundred  and 
twenty,  and  by  special  subscriptions  raised  for  the 
purpose  admirable  apparatus  has  been  supplied,  and 
the  dining-hall,  class-rooms,  bath-rooms  and  dormi- 
tories are  all  in  keeping,  and  the  school  is  under  the 
able  direction  of  Mr.  Price,  son  of  a  veteran  African 
missionary. 


238  RAMBLES   IN- JAPAN 

But,  perhaps,  looking  to  the  future,  the  most  im- 
portant of  our  institutions  is  Trinity  College.  There 
are  usually  between  twenty  and  thirty  students. 
The  third  year  of  their  four- years'  course  is  spent 
in  practical  catechist's  work  in  the  country,  a  most 
important  part  of  their  training.  It  is  a  very 
complete  Divinity  College.  Its  excellent  buildings 
leave  nothing  to  be  desired.  The  street  facade  is  of 
brick,  plain  but  handsome,  and  on  either  side  of  the 
doorway  is  a  Japanese  inscription  cut  in  the  stone, 
and  which  may  be  literally  translated,  '  The  one- 
God-in-three  teaching-house.'  Within  is  a  quad- 
rangle which  has  quite  an  Oxford  air,  one  side 
formed  by  the  chapel,  another  by  the  principal's 
house,  and  the  other  two  by  the  dining-hall  and 
lecture-rooms  downstairs,  the  dormitories  with  deep 
verandahs  being  upstairs.  There  are  four  lecture- 
rooms,  a  small  library  of  standard  theology,  and  the 
vice-principal's  sitting-room.  Behind  the  quadrangle 
are  the  bath-rooms,  kitchens  and  offices  with  abundant 
space. 

Our  last  Sunday  in  Osaka  was  a  red-letter  day, 
being  that  of  the  consecration  of  the  new  Church  of 
the  Saviour,  making  the  fourth  Episcopal  church, 
besides  nine  mission-rooms.  The  church  was  in  the 
place  of  an  old  and  smaller  one  destroyed  in  a 
conflagration  which  devastated  a  large  part  of  the 
city.  No  less  than  fourteen  clergy,  foreign  and 
native,  mustered  for  the  occasion.  The  church  is 
large  and  handsome,  with  nave  and  aisles  with 
granite  pillars  for  the  five  arches  on  either  side, 


OSAKA  239 

a  good  wide  chancel  and  west  porch.  The  native 
churchwardens  and  officials  met  the  procession 
headed  by  the  bishop  as  we  passed  from  the  vestry 
to  the  west  door,  and  there  read,  quite  in  English 
fashion,  the  petition  for  consecration.  Archdeacon 
Warren  preached  what  was  evidently  a  very  powerful 
sermon,  but  all  the  rest  of  the  service,  excepting  the 
bishop's  part,  was  taken  by  the  native  clergy.  The 
sight  was  a  very  impressive  one,  and  then  at  the 
Communion  none  but  non-Christians  seemed  to  leave. 
It  was  a  crammed  congregation  that  remained  to 
communicate. 

In  the  afternoon,  whilst  I  had  been  addressing 
the  students  in  the  college,  my  daughter  had  been 
occupied  in  a  very  touching  way.  A  little  girl, 
twelve  years  old,  a  very  poor  street  child  who  had 
attended  the  cottage  Sunday  school  I  have  described, 
had  been  touched  and  sought  instruction  for  baptism. 
Her  father,  a  kuruma  man,  had  given  his  consent, 
when  the  child  became  ill  and  was  sent  to  hospital. 
This  morning,  on  our  way  to  church,  we  received  a 
message  that  the  surgeon  had  to  perform  an  operation 
on  the  child  as  the  only  chance  of  saving  life,  but  she 
would  most  probably  sink  under  it.  This  being  told 
to  the  girl,  she  sent  at  once  to  say  that  she  must  first 
be  baptized.  My  daughter  arranged  with  Mr. 
Terasawa  to  baptize  the  little  convert  after  the  con- 
secration, which  he  did.  In  the  evening  we  met  a 
Christian  man  coming  to  tell  us  that  the  child  had 
died,  and  the  parents  wanted  a  Buddhist  funeral. 
This  my  daughter  could  not  agree  to,  as  the  parents 


240  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

had  given  their  full  consent  to  the  child's  baptism, 
and  she  claimed  her  as  a  Christian.  We  attended  the 
burial  the  next  day,  one  of  the  most  touching  funerals 
in  which  I  ever  joined.  The  little  coffin  was  covered 
with  a  white  cloth  and  a  cross  of  white  azaleas  upon 
it,  followed  by  a  few  Christian  women  and  the  heathen 
parents,  whilst  a  number  of  kuruma  men  (her  father's 
comrades)  stood  crowding  round  the  door,  marvelling 
in  the  interest  that  foreigners  could  take  in  a  poor 
coolie's  child. 

Shortly  before  my  departure  I  had  a  thoroughly 
Japanese  compliment  in  a  shimbokkwai,  the  native 
equivalent  of  a  farewell  dinner.  Every  member  of 
the  three  Church  Missionary  Society  congregations 
in  Osaka  had  been  invited.  The  large  hall  of  the 
school  had  been  cleared  and  decorated.  Singing  by 
the  children,  speeches — of  the  purport  of  which  I  could 
only  guess  until  they  were  interpreted — tea  and  cakes 
followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession.  Amongst 
the  speeches  I  had  to  make  one  describing  Palestine, 
and  this  was  interpreted  by  Mr.  Fyson,  paragraph  by 
paragraph.  Afterwards  I  had  some  mysterious  draw- 
ings sent  me  on  long  strips  of  paper,  two  of  which  I 
found  were  poems  in  my  honour  by  a  Christian  poet 
of  one  of  the  congregations. 

As  an  illustration  both  of  the  rapid  development 
of  European  arts  and  of  mission  work,  I  may  mention 
an  expedition  which  I  took  with  one  of  our  mission 
ladies,  Miss  Cox,  to  a  very  large  match  manufactory, 
employing  over  a  thousand  women  and  girls.  This 
factory  was  established  by  a  Japanese  gentleman  who 


OSAKA  241 

had  spent  three  years  in  London  studying  the  process 
as  carried  on  there.  These  women,  who  are  looked 
upon  as  an  inferior  caste,  not  only  by  the  makers  of 
artificial  flowers,  but  also  by  the  still  lower  cotton 
factory  girls,  have  no  instruction  whatever ;  and  the 
proprietor,  himself  a  Buddhist,  asked  a  Buddhist 
priest  to  do  something  for  them.  He  declined,  on 
the  ground  that  the  people  were  too  poor  to  pay  for 
anything.  Our  missionaries,  hearing  this,  offered 
their  services,  which  were  accepted  by  the  owner, 
who  thought  any  instruction  would  be  good  for  them. 
We  had  a  kuruma  ride  of  some  miles  to  the  factory, 
where  we  were  very  courteously  received  by  the 
owner,  who  showed  us  over  the  works,  where  every- 
thing is  done,  to  the  packing  in  huge  cases  for  trans- 
port to  India  and  China,  except  the  cutting  and 
splitting  of  the  wood  into  the  proper  size,  this  being 
done  at  another  factory.  The  boxes  are  made  at  the 
people's  homes,  and  is  the  worst  paid  occupation  in 
Osaka,  but  the  labels  are  put  on  at  the  factory. 
Each  match  passes  through  fourteen  hands,  and  each 
operation  is  carried  on  in  a  separate  shed.  It  was 
a  curious  sight  to  see  the  long  rows  of  women,  all 
nude  to  the  waist,  sitting  at  their  work. 

A  warehouse  was  placed  at  Miss  Cox's  disposal,  and 
at  dinner  time  an  announcement  made  that  the  foreign 
lady  would  like  to  tell  any  who  were  not  at  work 
about  Christianity.  In  a  minute  there  was  a  general 
rush,  the  women  hastily  drawing  up  their  dress  over 
their  shoulders,  and  shouting  wildly.  We  got  them 
to  sit  down  in  a  semicircle  ;  when  Miss  Cox,  who 

R 


242  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

had  hung  up  a  large  and  brightly  coloured  picture 
of  the  Prodigal  Son,  began  in  a  ringing  voice,  and  at 
once  there  was  dead  silence  and  all  attention.  I 
counted  up  to  three  hundred,  when  I  abandoned  the 
attempt.  Of  course,  I  understood  not  a  word  that 
was  said  ;  but  the  proprietor,  standing  throughout, 
was  evidently  pleased  and  interested,  and  for  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  the  audience  remained.  The 
wages  of  these  people  range  only  from  threepence  to 
sixpence  a  day. 

Whilst  in  Osaka  I  had  an  opportunity  of  getting 
an  insight  into  the  necessary  accomplishments  of  a 
well-bred  young  lady.  First  and  foremost  of  these 
is  the  art  of  flower  arranging,  lessons  in  which  are 
given  in  the  Bishop  Poole  Girls'  School  by  a  lady, 
at  whose  lesson  I  was  once  permitted  to  be  present. 
The  same  lady  also  gives  lessons  there  on  a  very 
important  subject,  the  mysteries  of  which  I  do  not 
pretend  to  have  fathomed,  i.e.,  the  proper  mode  of 
making  and  partaking  of  ceremonial  tea.  In  one  of 
her  lectures  I  was  the  unfortunate  victim  operated 
upon,  i.e.,  I  had  to  act  the  passive  part  of  the  visitor, 
nis  duty  being  to  remain  sitting  in  a  posture  which 
to  me  was  by  no  means  restful,  and  silent  for  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  ;  whilst  the  hostess,  with  great 
dignity,  grace  and  solemnity,  brings  forward  one 
part  of  the  apparatus  after  another.  With  intense 
exactitude  she  places  each  in  its  appointed  spot, 
passes  a  carefully  folded  silk  duster  over  each,  and 
finally  ladles  hot  water  on  to  the  tea-powder  in 
the  bowl,  and  this,  after  being  whisked  up  till  it 


OSAKA  245 

froths,  is  handed  to  the  visitor,  who  has  to  consume 
it  in  a  specified  number  of  gulps  and  make  no 
grimaces. 

The  story  of  the  origin  of  this  strange  yet  typical 
ceremony,  performed  by  the  daughter  at  home  when 
it  is  desired  to  do  special  honour  to  a  guest,  is  as 
follows  : — Some  centuries  ago,  when  the  country  was 
in  a  disturbed  state,  a  great  statesman,  fearing  civil 
war,  invented  the  intricate  details  of  this  art  of  tea- 
making  to  compose  and  calm  the  minds  of  the  people. 
So  completely  did  he  succeed  that  all  thought  of  the 
impending  war  was  soon  abandoned,  and  his  fame 
has  come  down  to  posterity  as  the  professor  of  tea. 

When  speaking  of  the  lessons  in  bouquet  arrange- 
ment I  might  have  described  one  of  the  most  charac- 
teristic sights  of  Osaka,  which  I  was  fortunate  enough 
to  witness — the  annual  spring  flower  show  and  fair. 
It  was  confined  to  a  certain  part  of  the  town,  but  even 
so  for  about  a  mile  flower-pots  and  plants  of  every 
kind  seem  to  have  taken  the  place  of  all  the  ordinary 
wares  in  the  shops,  whilst  the  narrowest  passage 
remained  in  the  centre  of  the  street,  lined  by  stands 
of  flower-pots  on  either  side.  There  was  every 
variety  of  horticultural  produce,  from  medallioned 
chrysanthemums  and  champion  peonies  to  the  humblest 
ferns  from  the  woods,  and  potsherds  containing  the 
root  of  some  wild  flower  beseechingly  offered  for  a 
few  rin  by  the  most  squalid  of  the  poor.  It  seemed 
to  be  the  one  opportunity  for  many  a  poor  outcast  to 
earn  an  honest  farthing.  It  was  impossible  to  resist 
the  silent  appeals,  far  more  successful  than  the  noisy 


246  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

importunities  of  an  Arab  bazaar.  The  purchasing 
mania  was  irresistible,  and  we  hired  one  kuruina  after 
another  to  carry  home  our  floral  purchases,  having 
invested  in  a  whole  forest  of  dwarfed  pines,  maples, 
and  oranges,  the  largest  of  which  could  be  covered  by 
a  hat.  The  most  curious  thing  of  all  was  a  large 
shallow  flower-pot  containing  what  might  be  called  a 
doll-house  garden,  but  all  of  actually  living  plants, 
with  little  walks,  and  microscopic  mountains  and 
lakes,  the  latter  spanned  by  bridges,  and  the  former 
with  houses  perched  about  them. 


247 


CHAPTER  VIII 

SHIKOKU 

NOT  the  least  interesting  expedition  which  we  made 
from  Osaka  was  one  to  the  neighbouring  island  of 
Shikoku,  an  island  which  even  yet  is  very  rarely 
visited  by  foreigners,  excepting  those  connected  with 
the  few  mission  stations.  It  is  in  area  the  fourth  of 
the  great  islands  which  constitute  the  empire,  and 
may  be  called  the  Wales  of  Japan,  and  the  island  of 
Awaji,  an  intermediate  link  with  the  main  island, 
suggests  the  Isle  of  Man.  In  its  physical  aspect,  too, 
its  bold  mountainous  character  reminds  one  of  Wales, 
while  in  the  south  part  of  the  island  there  is  a  dense 
population,  rich  mines,  and  extensive  manufactures. 
It  is  divided  into  four  provinces,  or  as  a  Japanese 
geographer  has  expressed  it,  '  It  has  one  body  and 
four  faces,  and  each  face  has  a  name/  Quaint 
indeed  are  these  names,  their  literal  translation  being 
'  Lovely  Princess,' ( Prince  Good-boiled-rice,'  '  Princess 
of  Great-food,'  and  '  Brave  Good-youth.'  The  people 
of  Shikoku,  and  especially  of  the  south,  have  always 
been  reputed  to  be  the  most  turbulent  and  democratic, 
which  is  probably  explained  by  their  employments 
being  largely  mining  and  manufacturing.  In  this 
part  of  the  country  the  American  Presbyterian 
Mission  has  been  at  work  for  some  years.  The 
result  may  be  judged  of  by  the  fact  that  this  island 


(WIVES*: 


248  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

has  returned  several  Christians  to  the  Japanese 
Parliament,  and  among  them  was  the  Speaker  of  the 
first  House  of  Commons. 

Our  voyage  from  Osaka  to  Tokushima  in  this 
island,  though  not  long,  was  certainly  amusing,  the 
accommodation  and  arrangements  being  purely 
Japanese.  The  voyage  being  in  an  almost  entirely 
land-locked  sea,  the  boat  was  constructed  rather  after 
the  model  of  a  river  steamer  than  of  an  ocean-going 
boat,  and,  with  due  consideration  to  the  economising 
of  the  passengers'  time,  was  made  at  night.  Soon 
after  sunset,  preceded  by  a  boy  with  a  barrow  and 
lantern,  we  went  down  to  the  wharf,  from  which  we 
entered  the  steamer  through  a  hole  in  her  side,  and 
then  up  a  ladder  on  to  the  deck.  But  the  deck  was 
only  a  space  of  two  feet  all  round  the  ship,  the  centre 
being  occupied  by  the  third-class  cabin,  which  was 
just  five  feet  high,  being  intended  for  sitting  and 
sleeping  in,  certainly  not  for  walking.  There  being 
no  berths,  *  first  come,  first  served/  was  the  rule,  and 
the  passengers  as  they  arrived  promptly  secured 
quarters  for  the  night  by  spreading  a  red  blanket 
and  disposing  their  persons  thereupon.  Into  this  we 
had  to  go  on  all-fours,  creep  across  it  while  the 
passengers  were  lying  thick,  and  get  down  another 
ladder  to  the  second-class  cabin,  which  occupied  the 
whole  width  of  the  vessel.  Taking  off  our  shoes,  we 
could,  stooping,  walk  along  it  into  the  first-class  cabin, 
of  the  same  width,  with  plenty  of  port-holes  open 
for  air,  and  a  fixed  bench  along  each  side.  The  floor 
was  carpeted  over  the  mats,  and  two  or  three  feeble 


SHIKOKU 


249 


oil  lamps  suspended  were  just  enough  to  make  dark- 
ness visible.  The  circumambient  bench,  which  1 
had  erroneously  imagined  to  be  berths,  proved  to  be 
only  the  receptacle  intended  for  baggage.  However, 
spreading  my  rug,  I  made  myself  comfortable  on  the 
bench,  with  my  head  close  to  an  open  port-hole. 
Happily  there  were  only  two  passengers  besides 


LADY  MISSIONARIES'  HOUSE. 

ourselves,  both  Japanese  gentlemen,  and  we  had 
abundant  space  in  a  cabin  supposed  to  accommodate 
twenty  of  both  sexes.  With  the  full  complement, 
sardines  in  a  box  would  have  been  a  fitting  com- 
parison. For  an  hour  or  two  tea  was  continually  being 
served,  pipes  smoked,  and  conversation  was  cease- 
less ;  while  my  daughter,  more  acclimatised  than  my- 
self, sat  country  fashion  on  the  floor  with  her  writing 


250  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

board  on  her  knees.  Quaint  and  novel  as  was  my 
bedchamber,  I  had  a  fairly  good  night's  rest,  though 
I  could  not  but  regret  that  we  were  losing  some  of 
the  most  charming  scenery,  equal  to  that  of  the 
Inland  Sea,  as  we  coasted  down  the  west  side  of  the 
island  of  Awaji.  At  4.30  A.M.  we  were  roused  to  go 
and  wash  in  turns  outside,  before  the  second  class ; 
according  to  the  due  precedence  of  first-class  pas- 
sengers. My  toilet  completed,  I  clambered  on  to  the 
top  of  the  third-class  cabin,  and  had  a  lovely  view  of 
the  labyrinth  of  islets,  all  well  wooded,  through  which 
we  were  winding.  For  the  last  hour  we  steamed  up 
a  wide  sluggish  river  till  we  reached  Tokushima,  and 
before  landing  were  supplied  with  a  Japanese  break- 
fast on  the  floor.  All  the  other  passengers,  being 
natives,  had  been  allowed  to  land  at  once,  but  we  had 
to  wait  until  the  police  functionary,  not  an  early 
riser,  could  condescend  to  come  on  board  and  examine 
our  passports.  This  formality  over,  we  drove  across 
the  city  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Buncombe,  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  our  kind  host.  With  61,000 
inhabitants,  it  is  the  tenth  city  in  Japan,  while  the 
island  has  nearly  4,000,000.  The  second  city,  Kochi, 
is  rather  further  off  than  Cork  is  from  Belfast,  and 
though  less  populous  than  Tokushima,  is  more  im- 
portant for  its  manufactures,  and  has  a  well-manned 
American  Presbyterian  Mission. 

Mr.  Buncombe  had  been  out  in  Japan  four  years, 
and  was  the  first  missionary  ever  stationed  here,  but 
the  church  had  been  gradually  growing  up  for  some 
years  before  his  arrival,  and  had  been  visited  from 


SHIKOKU  253 

the  Osaka  Mission.  There  is  a  church  and  native 
parsonage  with  an  ordained  native  pastor,  partly 
supported  by  the  people,  and  two  preaching-rooms  in 
different  parts  of  the  city,  which  I  visited,  with  two 
native  catechists  at  work,  besides  one  itinerating  in 
the  surrounding  villages.  Two  lady  missionaries  had 
also  recently  arrived,  and  were  settled  in  a  pretty 
little  Japanese  cottage  not  far  from  the  mission 
station. 

There  is  not  much  of  striking  interest  in  Toku- 
shima,  with  its  long  straight  streets  running  in  parallel 
lines  for  a  mile  or  two.  In  the  centre  is  a  rocky  mound, 
surrounded  by  a  moat,  and  covered  with  noble  trees, 
now  the  Park,  formerly  the  Daimio's  Castle,  but  now 
entirely  dismantled.  Overhanging  the  city  is  a  pre- 
cipitous wooded  hill,  with  a  fine  Shinto  temple  on  its 
brow.  To  this  we  climbed — not  a  very  arduous  task, 
as  steps  have  been  cut  in  the  side  of  the  cliff,  and 
were  richly  rewarded  by  a  superb  panorama.  The 
mingling  of  sea  and  land,  of  mountain,  forest,  and 
plain,  was  an  epitome  of  Japanese  scenery.  In  front 
of  us  was  spread  out  the  city,  beyond  it  the  bay, 
covered  with  fishing-boats,  into  which  two  rivers  flow 
from  different  points  ;  one  of  them,  the  Yoshi-no-gawa, 
navigable  for  many  miles,  while  on  both  sides  mountain 
ranges  tower  to  some  height,  clad  with  dark  pine  forest, 
and  their  sides  frequently  pierced  with  the  pale  green 
patches  which  marked  the  openings  of  the  rich  culti- 
vated valleys.  To  the  right,  across  the  principal 
river,  on  the  distant  plain,  a  dark  brown  patch 
examined  under  a  field  glass  would  reveal  a  large 


254  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

town,  in  the  centre  of  cultivated  fields,  and  beyond 
that  again  a  dim  grey  line  of  mountain  heights. 

In  the  afternoon  we  called  upon  the  native  clergy- 
man, Mr.  Terata,  and  his  wife,  who  speak  a  little 
English.  He  is  considered  the  most  able  of  the 
native  clergy  and  the  most  eloquent  preacher,  and  is 
very  obnoxious  to  the  Buddhists.  His  life  has  often 
been  threatened,  but  he  seemed  to  be  outliving  the 
persecutions.  In  one  church  or  other  there  are 


mf 

MISSIONARY'S  HOUSE  AT  TOKUSHIMA. 

lectures  or  services  every  night,  conducted  by  Mr. 
Buncombe,  Mr.  Terata,  or  a  catechist.  In  the  largest 
mission  church  which  we  visited  was  an  outer  porch, 
with  pigeon-holes  on  either  side  from  top  to  bottom, 
where  the  members  of  the  congregation  might  deposit 
their  shoes  or  sandals.  There  was  also  a  stock  of  new 
fans,  for  the  summer  was  coming  on,  and  these  are 
provided  for  the  comfort  of  the  worshippers.  The 


SHIKOKU 


255 


Japanese  are  as  ingenious  and  enterprising  in  adver- 
tising as  any  pushing  tradesman  at  home.  At  a 
church  council  meeting  a  member  of  the  congregation 
offered  to  present  200  fans  as  a  gift.  He  is  a  photo- 
grapher, and  produced  a  sample  of  his  fans,  but  one 
side  was  covered  with  an  elaborate  advertisement  of  his 
establishment.  As  a  contemplation  of  the  attractions 
of  his  studio  would  hardly  have  conduced  to  the 


MISSION-ROOM,   TOKUSHIMA. 


devotion  of  the  worshippers,  Mr.  Buncombe  suggested 
a  more  appropriate  embellishment,  and  to  the 
credit  of  the  enterprising  advertiser  be  it  said,  he 
adopted  the  design  and  supplied  the  fans.  Most 
appropriate  it  was  ;  on  one  side  was  a  coloured  sketch 
of  a  stormy  sea,  with  a  dark,  lowering  sky,  and  the 
passage,  '  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save 
sinners.'  On  the  reverse  was  depicted  a  brilliant 
sunlit  sky,  with  a  wooded  islet  in  a  calm  sea,  and 


TJNIVE 


256  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

storks  flying  overhead,  and  the  text,  '  God  is  a  Spirit, 
and  they  that  worship  Him  must  worship  Him  in 
spirit  and  in  truth.' 

In  the  evening,  beginning  at  six  o'clock,  there 
was  a  grand  shimbokkwai,  or  entertainment,  held  in 
the  mission -room  out  of  compliment  to  the  visitors. 
It  was  rather  a  formidable  affair,  and  as  full  of 
formalities  as  ceremonial  tea.  The  room  was  abso- 
lutely devoid  of  furniture,  and  the  guests  as  they 
arrived  ranged  themselves  round  the  walls,  sitting 
on  their  heels.  Between  forty  and  fifty  came, 
all,  of  course,  church  members,  the  majority  being 
men  ;  and  the  few  women  ranged  themselves  against 
the  wall  opposite  to  the  men.  I  stood  near  the  door, 
and  was  formally  introduced  to  each  visitor  separately. 
I  had  consequently  much  practice  in  bowing  twice  to 
each  one  till  my  head  touched  my  knees.  The  same 
ceremonial  was  repeated  by  each  new-comer  to  the 
previous  arrivals  round  the  walls.  I  was  much  taken 
with  the  appearance  of  one  member,  a  stout  old 
farmer  from  the  neighbourhood,  the  treasurer  of  the 
Nippon  Sei-ko-kwai,  or  Japan  church  of  the  district. 
He  arrived  on  horseback,  and  his  horse,  one  of  the 
few  really  thoroughbreds  that  I  ever  saw  in  the 
country,  was  turned  out  to  graze  in  the  adjoining 
yard.  I  found  that  I  won  the  thorough  approval  of 
my  friend  by  appreciating  the  points  of  his  steed. 
When  all  had  arrived,  after  a  few  minutes'  solemn 
silence,  Mr.  Terata  stood  up  and  made  a  short  speech. 
and  was  followed  by  others,  of  the  purport  of  all 
which  I  knew  nothing.  Mr.  Buncombe  gave  them 


SHIKOKU  257 

what  I  believe  was  supposed  to  be  my  history,  after 
which  I  was  expected  duly  to  respond,  and  did  so  in 
English,  one  of  the  company  volunteering  to  translate 
for  me,  sentence  by  sentence.  This  over,  the  church- 
wardens brought  in  saucer  plates  and  paper  napkins 
with  pictures  on  them  for  each  guest.  Then  tea  was 
served,  and  a  large  paper  bag  of  sweet  cakes  of  all 
colours  and  shapes  was  set  before  each  guest.  Each 
took  a  little  and  wrapped  up  the  remainder,  first  in 
paper  and  then  in  a  handkerchief,  to  take  away  with 
them.  It  would  have  been  a  gross  breach  of  etiquette 
if  we  had  not  done  the  same.  To  me  the  entertain- 
ment, with  the  conversation  going  on  in  an  undertone 
among  the  guests,  seemed  rather  like  a  Scotch  funeral. 
At  length,  about  nine  o'clock,  we  made  our  round  of 
bows  to  everyone,  gave  our  apologies  in  correct  style 
for  going  first,  and  with  many  a  <  sayonara,'  or  good- 
bye, departed,  though  the  entertainment  continued 
till  near  midnight.  To  me  a  shimbokkwai  is  the 
acme  of  dulness,  but  then  it  must  be  remembered  that 
I  understood  not  a  word,  unlike  my  friends,  who  had 
a  bright  remark  for  everyone. 

One  day  was  spent  in  a  delightful  expedition 
along  the  coast  to  Muya,  a  large  straggling  town 
twelve  miles  off,  an  out-station  of  the  mission,  and  to 
the  celebrated  Straits  of  Naruto.  A  party  of  six,  we 
started  each  in  a  kuruma  drawn  by  two  men,  pulling 
tandem.  It  was  a  lovely  ride.  The  road  was  level, 
on  a  narrow  plain,  with  a  wooded  mountain  range  on 
our  left  and  the  islet-studded  sea  on  the  right.  The 
plain  itself  was  covered  chiefly  with  barley,  just 


258  KAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

assuming  its  ripening  golden-coloured  hue,  and  many 
villages  with  picturesque  little  temples,  Shinto  and 
Buddhist,  with  avenues  of  trees  leading  up  to  them. 
May  they  soon  become  village  churches  !  We  crossed 
five  rivers,  some  of  considerable  width,  and  alive 
with  boats.  Two  of  them  were  spanned  by  pontoon 
bridges,  one  of  which  is  two-thirds  of  a  mile  long, 
and  is  washed  away  every  year,  in  consequence  of 
which  a  toll  of  three  sen  (l«|d.)  is  charged  to  all 
passengers.  If  kuruma-riding  were  not  so  solitary  it 
would  have  been  the  perfection  of  an  outing. 

After  halting  at  the  mission-house  and  being  intro- 
duced to  the  catechist,  who  had  been  at  college,  and 
hoped  soon  to  be  ordained,  we  went  on  to  a  native 
inn  fronting  the  sea,  in  a  lovely  cove  with  rocky 
islets  crowding  in  front,  surmounted  by  pine-trees. 
How  these  trees  can  live  and  get  nourishment 
apparently  on  the  top  of  a  naked  rock  I  do  not 
pretend  to  understand.  Their  roots  seem  to  bind 
the  rocks  and  penetrate  to  the  water's  edge.  After 
dining  Japanese  fashion  on  the  floor,  we  crossed  a 
creek  in  a  boat,  when  most  of  the  party  landed  and 
had  a  three-miles  walk  to  Naruto.  As  we  walked 
along  the  strand,  strewn  with  shells,  many  of  them 
most  gorgeous  olives,  cowries,  and  cones,  I  could  have 
wished  for  a  long  day,  simply  to  explore  these  sands. 
It  was  a  ^lively  scene.  Every  three  hundred  yards 
fishermen  with  their  boats  were  hauling  in  their  nets, 
and  scores  of  women  and  children  in  wild  excitement 
were  tugging  at  them  and  seizing  the  struggling  fish. 
The  line  of  nets  taken  out  by  each  boat  in  a  semicircle 


s  -2 


SHIKOKU  261 

almost  touched  one  another  for  miles  along  the  coast, 
and  though  being  constantly  drawn  in,  very  few  were 
ever  drawn  empty.  The  inhabitants  of  the  sea  must 
indeed  swarm  among  these  islands.  Nor  were  these 
draw-nets  the  only  mode  of  gathering  in  the  harvest 
of  the  sea.  Many  a  small  bamboo  buoy  marked  the 
lobster -pots  or  eel-traps  to  arrest  the  unwary  among 
these  still  waters,  while  in  boats  further  out  we  could 
see  the  fishermen  hauling  in  their  small-meshed  nets 
with  great  catches  of  sardines,  and  others  patiently 
dropping  their  long  lines  with  bait.  No  fish  appears 
to  be  rejected  as  unclean,  for  two  or  three  species  of 
dog-fish  seem  very  common,  and  are  much  appreciated 
in  the  market.  The  favourite  fish  is  one  called  tai,  a 
species  of  serranus,  or  sea-perch.  So  much  is  it 
appreciated  that  the  proverb  has  arisen,  '  Tai,  even  if 
it  is  bad,  still  it  is  tai.' 

At  the  further  end  of  this  little  bay  a  bold  wooded 
bluff  projects  into  the  sea,  to  the  summit  of  which 
was  a  well-trodden  path.  From  the  platform  at  the 
top,  disfigured  by  the  papers  of  Japanese  picnic 
parties,  we  had  a  lovely  view  of  the  opening  of  the 
Inland  Sea  and  its  countless  islets.  Descending  on 
the  other  side,  after  gathering  a  dozen  species  of 
ferns  I  had  never  before  seen,  we  found  ourselves  at 
Naruto,  one  of  the  lions  of  Japan.  Here  the  tide 
coming  up  the  Inland  Sea  meets  the  tide  from  the 
north.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  island  of 
Awaji  lies  right  across  a  wide  bay  of  this  sea  from 
the  main  island  to  the  northern  point  of  Shikoku, 
leaving  a  channel  of  considerable  width  to  the  north- 


262  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

ward,  which  is  the  commercial  route  to  Kobe  and 
Osaka  ;  and  more  than  thirty  miles  south  of  it,  at  the 
other  extremity  of  Awaji,  is  the  narrow  channel  of 
Naruto,  interrupted  by  several  islets,  and  therefore 
of  little  commercial  importance.  Its  narrowest  part 
is  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  wide,  but  a  rocky 
island  divides  the  strait  into  what  are  called  the 
Greater  and  Lesser  Naruto,  the  Greater  Naruto  being 
on  the  Shikoku  side.  We  must  remember  that  the 
tidal  wave,  rolling  from  west  to  east,  strikes  the  north 
and  south  entrances  of  the  Inland  Sea  almost  simul- 
taneously ;  but  Naruto  being  near  the  northern 
opening,  the  tidal  wave  reaches  this  narrow  channel 
from  the  north  long  before  the  arrival  of  the  southern 
wave.  The  consequence  is  that  at  high  water  from 
the  north,  the  sea  is  twelve  feet  higher  on  the 
northern  side  of  the  channel  than  it  is  on  the  inside, 
by  a  sort  of  bore  being  arrested  here,  but  at  low 
water  the  conditions  are  reversed,  and  the  tidal 
wave  having  now  come  up  from  the  south,  the  water 
north  of  the  strait  is  twelve  feet  lower  at  an 
ordinary  spring  tide.  The  consequence  is  that  there 
is  literally  a  waterfall  across  the  sea,  excepting 
for  a  few  minutes  at  mid-tide,  when  it  is  level. 
We  were  fortunate  enough  to  arrive  just  at  high 
water.  A  small  reef  only  two  or  three  feet  above 
high  water-mark  runs  out  into  the  sea  exactly 
in  a  line  with  the  waterfall.  We  could  easily  walk 
out  on  to  it,  and  there,  standing  on  a  flat  rock  at  the 
extremity,  the  sea  on  our  right  hand  was  several  feet 
higher  than  on  our  left,  and  the  line  in  front  of  us 


OF   THK 

UNIVERSITY 


SHIKOKU  265 

was  an  even  cascade  more  than  a  mile  long,  and  as 
we  watched  it  the  waterfall  gradually  diminished  in 
height.  We  went  on  shore,  and  after  spending  an 
hour  or  two  botanising  in  the  woods,  returned  to  our 
post  of  observation  to  find  the  cascade  barely  more 
than  a  foot  in  height.  Large  shipping  dare  not  risk 
this  dangerous  passage,  but  lighter  craft  can  easily 
shoot  the  falls  either  way.  We  watched  two  junks 
trying  it.  They  were  gradually  drawn  faster  and 
faster,  as  the  current  bore  them  down,  till  at  last  they 
ducked  to  it,  seemed  to  take  a  header,  and  instantly 
come  up  again,  and  were  then  swept  down  stream  at 
a  tremendous  rate.  I  have  shot  the  rapids  in  the  St. 
Lawrence,  but  none  of  them  were  like  this.  Unfortu- 
nately time  did  not  permit  us  to  remain  to  see  the 
water  perfectly  even,  as  it  is  for  a  few  minutes  before  it 
begins  to  rise  on  the  other  side.  As  it  was,  it  was  far 
into  the  night  before  we  reached  Tokushima  again. 

I  left  the  island  of  Shikoku  with  the  conviction 
that  there  is  no  part  of  the  Japanese  empire  which 
would  so  well  repay  a  leisurely  exploration  of  a  few 
weeks  as  would  Shikoku.  Though  the  mountain 
ranges  are  far  inferior  in  elevation  to  those  of  the  main- 
land, yet  they  are  more  densely  and  uniformly  wooded. 
The  population  of  the  island,  although  reaching 
4,000,000,  is  not  so  evenly  dispersed  as  elsewhere, 
and  consequently  the  extent  of  primeval  forest  is 
much  greater.  Game,  and  especially  deer,  must  be 
very  plentiful,  judging  by  the  abundance  of  heads  and 
horns  to  be  seen  everywhere,  though  I  only  noticed 
one  species,  Cervus  sika,  or  one  closely  allied  to  it. 


2G6 


CHAPTER    IX 

THE   ISLAND    OF    KIUSHIU 

VERY  different  from  our  passage-boat  to  Tokushima 
was  the  sumptuous  passenger  steamer  on  which,  a 
few  days  after  our  return  from  Shikoku,  we  embarked 
to  pass  again  down  the  lovely  Inland  Sea,  up  which  I 
had  sailed  a  few  weeks  before.  Our  object  was  to 
visit  the  northern  and  central  portions  of  the  island 
of  Kiushiu.  By  a  most  convenient  arrangement  the 
passengers  were  expected  to  be  all  on  board  the 
Saikyo  Maru  in  the  evening,  so  that  we  could 
loose  from  our  moorings  at  daybreak,  and  lost  none 
of  the  scenery.  In  the  most  perfect  of  weather  we 
steamed  down  the  Inland  Sea,  amidst  a  prospect 
simply  peerless  for  calm,  rich,  quiet  beauty.  All 
that  sunlight,  a  silver  sea,  countless  islets  on  both 
sides,  mountains  clad  with  timber  from  the  shore  to 
their  summits,  villages  in  rapid  succession,  some 
half  buried  in  woods,  others  fringing  the  shore,  in- 
numerable fishing-boats  and  junks,  amidst  which  the 
steamer  carefully  threads  her  way — all  that  these  can 
give  of  beauty  are  here.  Not  majestic  or  grand,  but 
delicately,  gracefully,  sweetly  beautiful. 

We  were   reminded   that   sometimes  there   is    a 
reverse  to  the  medal,  when  during  the  afternoon  we 


THE   ISLAND    OF    KIUSHIU  267 

passed  the  wreck  of  a  large  English  steamer,  which 
had  gone  ashore  on  an  islet  eight  days  ago,  and  was 
now  lying  on  her  side,  a  hopeless  wreck,  since  there 
was  no  available  machinery  within  reach  to  raise  her. 
Amongst  our  fellow-passengers  was  the  ubiquitous 
Lloyd's  agent,  whom  we  dropped  in  a  gig  on  his 
mission  to  look  after  the  salvage,  and  many  were  the 
condolences  he  received  on  his  departure  for  the 
Robinson  Crusoe's  island,  where  he  would  probably 
have  to  remain  a  fortnight  alone  amongst  the  fisher- 
men. He  was,  however,  well  furnished  with  provi- 
sions, and  light  literature  for  solitary  hours  was 
showered  upon  him  as  he  left  the  vessel. 

The  sun  did  not  set  until  we  had  reached 
that  part  of  the  Inland  Sea  the  prospect  of  which 
I  had  enjoyed  in  daylight  on  my  former  voyage. 
We  were  due  at  the  Straits  of  Shimanoseki  in  the 
early  morning  hours,  and  here  the  steamer  was 
to  drop  anchor  until  daylight,  this  being  her  only 
point  of  call  on  her  way  to  Shanghai.  The  night 
was  too  bright  to  allow  me  to  leave  the  deck,  where 
I  could  mark  the  clear  dark  outline  of  mountains  and 
islands  over  the  phosphorescent  sea,  and  that  with 
most  agreeable  companions.  The  captain,  a  cultured 
American,  who  had  kept  his  eyes  open  all  over 
the  world,  and  the  chief  engineer,  an  observant 
Scotchman,  who  had  spent  years  in  Yezo  as  his 
headquarters,  and  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  Ainu 
aborigines,  kept  the  watch.  The  engineer  was  a 
devoted  admirer  of  Mr.  Batch elor,  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  missionary  to  the  Ainu  in  Yezo, 


268  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

and  it  was  refreshing  to  hear  his  high  opinion  of  the 
missionary  staff  and  of  their  work  in  Japan. 

About  2.30  A.M.  we  anchored  in  the  narrow  strait 
of  Shimanoseki,  which  locks  the  south-west  entrance 
of  the  Inland  Sea.  To  the  north,  on  the  main  island, 
is  Bakan,  well  defended  by  earthworks,  and  Moji,  our 
point  of  departure  in  Kiushiu,  on  the  other  side. 
We  remained  on  board  till  dawn,  when  we  were 
supplied  with  coffee  and  landed  in  the  ship's  boat  at 
Moji.  A  portion  of  the  North  Kiushiu  Eailway  had 
just  been  opened,  but  the  station  was  not  yet  com- 
pleted ;  and  finding  ourselves  an  hour  before  the 
time  of  starting,  we  deposited  our  luggage  on  the 
planks  and  set  out  to  explore  the  village  in  search 
of  food,  not  very  successfully.  A  journey  of  three 
hours  through  a  rich  undulating  country  brought  us 
to  Hakata.  The  line  generally  skirted  the  seashore. 

We  passed  Kokura,  a  bustling  seaport  garrison 
town,  and  after  that  a  number  of  collieries,  recently 
opened,  for  this  is  the  northern  extension  of  the  great 
Kiushiu  coal-field,  which  extends  eighty  miles  south- 
ward. A  Japanese  company  is  making  arrangements 
for  an  enormous  development  of  these  coal-mines, 
which  have  hitherto  been  chiefly  worked  only  by 
drifts.  The  upper  seam  alone  has  as  yet  been  worked 
at  all,  but  shafts  have  here  been  sunk,  and  several 
lower  seams  have  been  reached,  yielding  steam  coal 
of  the  best  quality.  The  Japanese  fully  expect  to 
monopolize  the  coal  trade  of  the  Eastern  Pacific,  as 
the  seams  can  be  worked  close  to  some  of  the  best 
harbours,  whilst  the  abundance  of  labour  and  its  low 


THE   ISLAND    OF   KIUSHIU  269 

price  will  enable  them  to  compete  successfully,  not 
only  with  England,  but  with  Vancouver.  As  yet 
coal  hardly  can  be  considered  an  article  of  household 
consumption  in  Japan,  its  home  use  being  entirely 
confined  to  manufactures.  The  natives  as  yet  show 
no  disposition  to  apply  it  to  domestic  purposes,  and 
prefer  the  more  costly  wood  charcoal,  which  is  a  much 
less  dangerous  fuel  in  their  inflammable  wooden 
houses,  while  their  paper  walls  and  many  chinks 
remove  all  danger  of  asphyxia.  Still,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  mineral  coal  will  be  adopted  for  domestic 
purposes  before  the  forests  of  the  country,  to  which  it 
owes  so  much,  not  only  of  its  beauty,  but  its  fer- 
tility, be  too  much  depleted.  To  this  last-mentioned 
danger,  however,  the  enlightened  government  seems 
to  be  already  alive,  and  sets  an  example  which  we 
might  well  follow  at  home,  by  locking  the  door  before 
the  steed  is  stolen.  In  India  we  have  been  barely  in 
time  to  arrest  the  mischief  which  the  denudation  of 
timber  has  already  caused  in  the  desolation  of  more 
than  one  of  the  West  Indian  Islands,  and  which  there 
are  ominous  signs  may  ere  long  overtake  great  parts 
of  the  Norfch  American  continent.  In  Japan  the 
government  is  following  the  German  method  of 
systematic  replanting. 

We  left  the  railway  at  Hakata,  a  large  town  sepa- 
rated from  Fukuoka,  our  destination,  only  by  the 
Nakagawa  or  Middle  Eiver,  spanned  by  bridges. 
We  rode  through  both  towns  to  the  hospitable  house 
of  our  host,  Mr.  Hind,  who,  with  Mr.  Hutchinson, 
represents  the  Church  Missionary  Society  in  this  great 


270  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

town  and  district.  Fukuoka  itself  has  a  population 
of  53,000,  and  is  a  military  centre,  as  in  case  of  war, 
whether  with  China  or  Russia,  the  Straits  of  Shima- 
noseki  would  be  a  vital  point  either  to  hold  or  to 
attack.  The  far-seeing  policy  of  the  government  has 
massed,  in  the  different  old  castles  and  barracks 
within  striking  distance  of  the  Straits,  a  number  of 
skeleton  corps  which  can  easily  be  filled  up.  Fukuoka, 
though  not  much  talked  of,  contains  really  many 
objects  of  interest.  Very  soon  after  our  arrival  Mr. 
Hind  took  us  to  the  top  of  a  hill  at  the  extremity  of 
the  city,  whence  we  had  a  commanding  view  of  the 
bay  and  of  the  crescent-shaped  city  fringing  it  for 
four  miles.  The  sea  with  its  boats  and  shipping 
looked  almost  as  populous  as  the  land.  Though 
flourishing  and  beautifully  clean,  the  streets  are 
rather  too  modern  to  be  very  attractive,  excepting 
for  their  shops,  which  are  well  supplied,  and  in  which 
I  was  able  to  pick  up  some  interesting  genuine  old 
bronzes. 

The  palace  and  grounds  of  the  old  Daimios  skirt 
the  further  side  of  the  city,  and  contain  many  objects 
of  interest.  The  public  park,  which  is  formed 
out  of  a  part  of  the  ancient  Daimios'  domain,  is 
studded  with  noble  pine-trees,  extending  to  the  shore. 
Adjoining  it  is  the  mausoleum  of  the  old  Princes  of 
Chikusen,  quite  unique  in  Japan,  and  unlike  anything 
I  ever  saw  elsewhere.  Like  the  park,  it  is  full  of 
magnificent  pine-trees,  towering  above  the  maples 
and  other  trees,  which  they  overshadow.  Among 
these  forming  a  labyrinth  are  dropped  the  megalithic 


THE   ISLAND   OF   KIUSHIU  271 

monuments  of  the  family,  sometimes  placed  on  arti- 
ficial mounds,  sometimes  encircled  with  evergreen- 
trees,  and  sometimes  on  the  summit  of  a  taller  mound 
reached  by  a  flight  of  steps.  The  tombs  of  the 
male  members  of  the  family  have  square  shafts  on 
circular  bases,  and  are  of  great  size  and  covered  with 
old  Chinese  characters.  Those  of  the  females  have 
circular  shafts. 

This  family,  one  of  the  most  powerful  in 
former  times,  next  to  the  Shogun,  has  played  a 
conspicuous  part  in  the  history  of  Japan.  They  were 
the  leaders  of  the  Christian  faction  in  the  time  of 
Spanish  influence.  The  Daimio  Kuroda  Nagarnasa, 
in  A.D.  1623,  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Jesuit 
chronicles.  The  inscription  on  his  tomb  is  very  long, 
and  the  tomb  itself  consists  of  three  truncated  columns 
placed  one  above  the  other,  each  on  a  circular  base. 
A  massive  pagoda  roof  shelters  it,  giving  it  very 
much  the  appearance  of  a  temple.  I  much  regretted 
I  could  not  read  the  inscription,  nor  ascertain  what 
his  Buddhist  descendants  have  said  about  his  Christ- 
ianity. The  grounds  are  kept  strictly  private,  and 
are  in  beautiful  order.  We  were  only  admitted  by 
special  favour,  and  enjoyed  wandering  in  the  maze  of 
thickets  till  sunset.  The  family  is  one  of  the  few  who 
have  retained  considerable  political  influence  in  new 
Japan,  and  the  last  Daimio  of  the  Kuroda  family  has 
been  created  an  hereditary  marquis.  His  eldest  son 
is  a  graduate  of  Oxford,  but,  instead  of  following  the 
traditions  of  the  family  history,  is  a  prominent  anti- 
foreigner  and  anti-Christian. 


272  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

I  cannot  leave  Fukuoka  without  a  word  on  the 
infant  church  in  that  district,  where  we  spent  two 
Sundays,  and  on  the  second  had  the  almost  unique 
privilege  of  assisting  in  the  formal  consecration  of  a 
native  church,  built  almost  entirely  by  the  people. 
I  was  especially  struck  by  the  two  catechists  whom  I 
met,  and  one  of  whom  has  been  since  ordained.  His 
history  is  interesting.  By  birth  a  gentleman,  he  was 
originally  a  Samurai  or  retainer  of  the  Satsuma  clan. 
After  the  abolition  of  the  feudal  system,  he  received 
as  compensation  a  sum  of  about  $400.  He  was  then 
a  schoolmaster.  Hearing  something  of  Christianity, 
he  became  so  much  interested  in  it  that  he  resigned 
his  post  and  went  with  his  family  to  Nagasaki,  where 
he  sought  instruction  from  Archdeacon  Maundrell, 
and  was  ultimately  baptized.  He  then  entered  the 
little  college  there,  at  his  own  charges,  to  be  trained 
as  a  catechist.  He  never  said  a  word  about  his  means, 
but  lived  on  his  capital  till  it  was  exhausted,  and  it 
was  only  when  he  was  utterly  penniless  that  the  fact 
came  out.  He  has  proved  himself  an  admirable  man, 
and  it  was  understood  that  he  was  to  be  ordained  as 
soon  as  the  congregation  were  able  to  guarantee  their 
part  of  his  stipend. 

The  other  catechist,  who  works  the  neighbouring 
out-stations,  was  a  bank  clerk.  Having  accidentally 
heard  a  catechist,  he  was  led  to  seek  further  instruc- 
tion, and  on  his  baptism  was  dismissed  from  the  bank 
for  having  become  a  Christian.  He  was  in  absolute 
destitution  for  a  time,  but  refused  all  help  from 
Christian  friends,  lest  it  should  be  said  he  had  gone 


THE   ISLAND    OF   KIUSHIU  273 

over  for  what  he  could  get.  He  was  reduced  to 
support  his  family  by  cleaning  out  and  taking  care 
of  the  government  schools.  Mr.  Hutchinson,  however, 
soon  found  out  his  position,  and,  as  he  was  a  man  of 
education  and  a  gentleman,  was  able  at  once  to 
employ  him  as  a  catechist,  in  which  post  he  is  in- 
valuable. It  is  interesting  to  know  that  the  manager 
of  the  bank  where  he  once  was  is  now  a  trustee  and 
churchwarden  of  the  native  church. 

Another  case  worth  mentioning  is  that  of  Mr. 
Hutchinson's  cook.  He  was  a  strong  Buddhist,  and 
was  keeper  of  the  Sailors'  Home  at  Nagasaki.  He 
was  led  to  think  that  there  must  be  something  in 
Christianity  by  noticing  the  lives  of  some  of  the 
sailors  there,  whom  he  observed  to  gather  in  a  corner 
for  reading  and  prayer.  He  argued  there  must  be 
something  in  this  that  made  these  men  so  different 
from  the  others,  and  therefore,  to  get  instruction, 
came  and  offered  himself  to  Mr.  Hutchinson  as  his 
servant,  and  insisted  upon  accompanying  him  when 
he  moved  from  Nagasaki.  He  has  been  the  means 
of  bringing  all  his  kinsfolk  into  the  Christian 
fold. 

I  was  also  introduced  to  the  oldest  Christian  in  the 
congregation,  and  one  of  the  most  earnest.  He  is  a 
blind  man,  who  gets  his  living  by  hawking  halfpenny 
newspapers  in  the  street.  He  is  called  the  father  of 
the  new  church,  because  about  two  years  ago  he  said 
at  a  prayer  meeting  :  '  We  ought  not  to  be  content 
to  worship  in  a  hired  house ;  we  ought  to  build  our- 
selves a  church.  I  will  undertake  to  give  $30  in  two 

T 


274  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

years  for  the  purpose.  "What  will  others  give  ? ' 
This  was  indeed  an  enormous  sum  in  a  country  where 
a  working  man  earns  $3  a  month.  A  shopkeeper 
exclaimed:  '  If  he  can  give  $30,  I  must  give  $50  ;' 
and  others  followed  suit.  So  $800  was  raised,  and 
the  church  was  built. 

We  were  at  the  last  service  held  in  the  old 
mission-room — a  hired  house  of  two  stories,  the  lower 
of  which,  open  to  the  street,  was  devoted  to  preaching 
to  the  heathen,  and  for  holding  various  inquirers' 
meetings,  while  the  upper  chamber  was  the  church 
in  which  Christians  met  for  worship.  It  might 
possibly  hold  a  hundred  people  seated  close  together 
on  the  floor.  I  found  the  crowd  and  heat  over- 
powering, and  fear  I  did  not  set  an  example  of 
attention,  but  I  may  be  excused.  I  wonder  if  my 
reader  ever  tried  to  listen  ,  to  an  unknown  tongue 
for  two  hours  while  sitting  on  the  floor  in  a  cramped 
posture.  If  so,  I  am  sure  I  (shall  be  forgiven. 

The  following  Sunday  was  a  day  much  to  be 
remembered  in  the  history  of  the  infant  church  of 
Kiushiu.  Bishop  Bickersteth  had  arrived  the  previous 
evening  for  the  consecration  of  the  new  church, 
which  by  working  night  and  day  was  completed — a 
feat  that  seemed  hopeless  a  few  days  before.  The 
matting  was  all  down,  the  seats  up  (for  they  deter- 
mined to  have  seats  in  their  new  church,  a  foreign 
fashion  which  is  creeping  in),  the  windows  were  all 
in,  as  the  procession,  consisting  of  the  church  com- 
mittee, catechists  from  town  and  country,  three  clergy 
and  the  bishop,  entered  and  walked  up  the  church. 


THE   ISLAND   OF   KIUSHIU  275 

There  was  a  crowd,  as  there  would  be  elsewhere  on 
such  an  occasion.  Many  non-Christians  were  present, 
among  them  several  officials  from  the  Kencho  (govern- 
ment offices),  and  some  leading  merchants.  The  men 
were  on  one  side,  the  women  on  the  other,  but  soon 
the  men  overflowed  into  the  ladies'  seats.  Almost  all 
the  men  were  got  up  in  European  fashion,  frock  coats 
predominating ;  but  I  was  glad  to  notice  that  there 
was  not  a  single  female,  whether  of  higher  or  lower 
rank,  in  Western  costume ;  nor  did  I  ever  during  my 
wanderings  meet  a  woman  in  any  but  the  national 
dress.  We  can  only  hope  that,  warned  by  the  mean 
appearance  of  the  other  sex  in  the  unbecoming  habili- 
ments that  it  is  fashionable  to  adopt,  the  ladies' 
style  will  never  change. 

The  ceremonial  seemed  to  be  exactly  as  at  home : 
the  petition  for  consecration,  the  lawyer's  part,  and 
the  handing  and  signing  of  title  and  trust  deeds,  were 
all  duly  performed  at  the  communion  table.  After 
the  consecration  was  a  confirmation  of  eight  adult 
men  and  three  women  converts,  and  the  Holy  Com- 
munion, with  sixty-four  communicants  besides  the 
clergy.  The  people  are  fond  of  sermons,  and  at  the 
evening  service  after  the  bishop's  address  and  con- 
firmation there  were  two  sermons  to  a  crowded 
congregation,  preached  by  catechists,  the  second  being 
of  portentous  length  from  a  young  man  gifted  with 
Hibernian  eloquence  and  more  than  Hibernian 
vehemence. 

While  speaking  of  the  consecration,  I  forgot  to 
mention  the  ceremonial  connected  with  the  building, 

T  2 


276  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

which  is  exactly  the  reverse  of  the  Western  custom. 
We  lay  foundation  stones.  In  this  country,  on  the 
contrary,  buildings  are  always  begun  by  setting  up 
the  roof-tree  and  then  completing  the  whole  roof 
supported  by  a  wooden  pillar  at  each  angle,  from 
which  they  build  the  wooden  walls  downwards, 
having  a  shelter  under  which  to  work.  As  soon  as 
the  ridge  of  the  roof  is  fixed,  and  before  the  rafters 
have  been  attached  to  it,  in  the  centre  of  the  beam  a 
hole  is  cut,  in  which  the  bottle  of  documents  and  coins 
are  deposited  with  as  much  ceremony  as  amongst 
ourselves.  When  I  first  noticed  this  amusing  contrast 
to  our  ancient  Western  custom,  I  was  naturally  led  to 
associate  it  with  the  fact  that  no  trace  whatever  of 
Freemasonry  has  been  found  in  Japan,  where  the 
building  material  being  exclusively  wood  and  not 
stone,  there  was  no  scope  for  those  operative  masonic 
traditions  which  are  so  interwoven  with  speculative 
Freemasonry. 

The  situation  of  the  church  is  certainly  the 
choicest  in  Fukuoka,  adjoining  the  large  Post  Office 
buildings,  facing  the  river,  with  the  wide  roadway 
of  the  quay  in  front,  lined  with  barges  and  sampans, 
and  close  to  the  bridge  which  unites  the  two  towns. 
The  porch  has  granite  pillars,  and  is  at  the  south- 
west angle  of  the  building,  surmounted,  as  are  also 
the  east  and  west  gables,  with  the  cross  in  a  circle. 
The  fine  granite  font  was  the  gift  of  two  members  of 
the  congregation. 

Early  on  the  Monday  morning  we  proceeded  on 
our  way  by  rail  to  the  station  for  Dazaifu,  one  of 


TI1K   ISLAND   OF   KIUSHIU  277 

the  interesting  historical  sites  in  the  island.  Having 
deposited  our  luggage,  we  took  kurumas  across  the 
plain  to  the  foot  of  the  hills  where  Dazaifu  is  situated, 
a  most  interesting  old  place,  the  seat  of  the  govern- 
ment of  Kiushiu  two  thousand  years  ago  and  more. 
The  island  used  to  be  a  dependency,  only  nominally 
subject  to  the  Mikado,  who  appointed  the  governor- 
general,  and  was  not  really  incorporated  in  the 
empire  until  A.D.  1338.  The  temples  here  are  the 
most  ancient  in  Japan.  One  of  them  is  dedicated  to 
Tenjin  (i.e.,  heaven  man),  the  name  under  which  a 
great  ruler  and  scholar,  Sugawara,  has  been  deified. 
In  his  day,  900  A.D.,  the  governorship  of  Kiushiu  was 
looked  upon  as  a  banishment  and  disgrace.  It  was 
the  post  to  which  illustrious  or  powerful  men  who 
might  have  offended  the  Mikado  were  relegated. 
Tenjin  is  worshipped  as  the  god  of  caligraphy.  In 
front  of  the  temples  dedicated  to  his  honour  is  gener- 
ally placed  the  figure  of  a  recumbent  cow,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  tradition  that,  having  no  horses  in  his 
exile,  he  used  to  ride  about  on  a  cow.  His  temple  at 
Dazaifu  is  approached  by  a  long  avenue  and  a  torii 
(i.e.,  gateway)  of  bronze,  of  a  size  such  as  I  saw 
nowhere  else.  The  avenue  was  flanked  by  splendid 
bronze  statues  of  dragons,  lions  and  cows,  larger  than 
life-size,  and  some  of  the  finest  camphor-trees  I  ever 
sawr. 

The  temple  itself  was  more  striking  from  the 
evidences  of  its  antiquity  than  its  beauty,  and  in  the 
courtyard  in  front  of  it  were  again  many  bronze 
figures  of  cows,  lions  and  owls.  The  priests  were 


278  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

much  pleased  for  a  fee  to  show  us  the  relics  and 
treasures  of  this  temple,  the  swords  of  many  historical 
characters  by  famous  makers,  some  a  thousand  years 
old,  manuscripts  claiming  to  be  fifteen  hundred  years 
old,  the  original  holographs  of  one  of  the  greatest  poets 
of  Japan,  bronze  statuettes  of  Confucius  and  his  chief 
followers,  brought  from  China  in  630  A.D.,  and  many 
choice  specimens  of  ancient  lacquer.  In  fact,  the 
sacrarium  of  this  temple  was  simply  the  treasure- 
house  of  an  antiquarian  and  historical  museum. 

We  walked  on  a  mile  or  so  further  to  visit  a  still 
older  temple,  somewhat  dilapidated,  but  with  yet  older 
relics  than  the  other,  amongst  them  the  metal  mirror 
of  the  first  Emperor  of  Japan,  B.C.  ?,  of  unknown 
date,  and  some  ancient  lacquer  work.  It  was  an 
exercise  of  patience  to  wait  for  the  exhibition  of  the 
historic  swords,  which  had  more  wrappings  and  cases 
than  the  mummy  of  an  Egyptian  monarch.  Seating 
himself  on  the  ground  after  opening  one  coffer  and 
then  another,  the  priest  would  take  out  the  long 
package,  enfolded  in  marvellous  wrappers  of  faded 
silk  embroidery,  tied  with  broad  ribbons  in  knots 
which  seemed  to  have  some  mystic  meaning,  and  it 
was  not  until  after  some  half-dozen  of  these  covertures 
had  been  successively  unfolded  that  the  sword  in  its 
elaborately  inlaid  sheath  was  revealed. 

The  temple  of  Kwannon,  the  goddess  of  mercy,  not 
far  off,  was  well  worth  a  visit,  as  it  also  possesses  a 
number  of  interesting  relics.  In  the  centre  of  the 
building  is  a  colossal  figure  of  Kwannon,  with  two 
other  smaller  yet  colossal  statues  on  either  side,  all 


THE   ISLAND    OF   KIUSHIU  279 

three  gilt,  or  rather,  if  the  priest's  statement  be  true, 
covered  with  thin  gold  plates.  If  so,  they  must  be 
of  fabulous  value.  A  walk  of  two  miles  more  took 
us  to  the  site  of  the  old  court-house  and  palace  of 
Dazaifu.  Little  now  remains  of  the  old  capital  of  the 
island  except  the  granite  bases  of  the  columns  of  the 
building,  and  the  colonnade  leading  to  it,  but  its  shape 
and  outline  can  be  clearly  traced.  It  reminded  us  on 
approaching  it  of  a  Druidical  circlet. 

We  had  a  hurried  walk  down  to  the  nearest 
village,  where  we  were  able  to  hire  kurumas,  and 
caught  the  last  train  towards  J£umainoto,  our  bourne. 
The  line  was  not  yet  opened,  and  the  train  deposited 
us  fifteen  miles  short  of  our  destination.  When  we 
reached  the  terminus — it  could  hardly  be  called  a 
station — no  kuruma  man  was  willing  to  take  us  on,  as 
it  was  too  far  and  too  late.  However,  we  persuaded 
some  at  last  to  convey  us  at  least  to  the  first  village. 
Here  we  were  set  down,  in  the  road  in  front  of  a 
tea-house,  and  certainly  the  poor  fellows  who  had 
brought  us  deserved  their  fare,  and  were  quite 
incapable  of  going  further,  for  when  we  engaged 
them  they  were,  so  to  speak,  return  empties,  having 
done  their  day's  work.  There  seemed  no  help  for  it, 
so  we  sat  down  on  a  mat  in  the  tea-house,  resigned, 
if  necessary,  to  spend  the  night  there,  and  made  a 
meal  as  best  we  could  of  tea  and  sugared  beans.  At 
length  two  villagers,  seeing  the  chances  of  a  stiff  fare, 
presented  themselves  and  agreed  to  take  us  on. 

It  was  a  pity  to  lose  the  rich  scenery,  but  we  had 
time  before  sunset  to  halt  for  a  visit  to  the  fine  monu- 


UNIVERSITY 


280  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

ment  erected  on  a  mound  of  the  battlefield  where 
the  Satsuma  rebellion  was  finally  crushed.  This  was, 
in  fact,  the  Culloden  of  Japan,  the  last  struggle 
of  the  clans  and  feudal  independence  against 
centralised  government  and  the  new  regime.  It 
had  lasted  for  several  years,  and  was  finally  crushed 
in  1877. 

Our  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brandram,  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  at  Kumamoto,  had  almost  given 
us  up  in  despair  when  at  length  our  kuruma  men 
found  their  house.  We  found,  besides  the  family 
party,  a  young  Japanese  doctor  who  spoke  English 
perfectly.  By  a  strange  coincidence  this  gentleman, 
who  was  a  complete  stranger  passing  through 
Kumamoto  on  his  way  to  a  distant  town,  had  called 
on  Mr.  Brandram  as  a  fellow-Christian.  In  the 
course  of  conversation,  my  daughter's  name  being 
mentioned,  he  said  that  he  had  been  invited  to  my 
house  in  England  and  knew  some  of  my  friends. 
Not  a  little  astonished  was  he  when  told  that  we 
were  expected  that  very  evening,  and  he  agreed  to 
stay  to  meet  us.  Strange  that  in  this  remote  town 
in  Japan  three  of  us  should  meet  who  had  never  seen 
each  other  before,  and  yet  had  many  common 
tangents — Dr.  Saiki  being  an  Edinburgh  graduate 
well  known  to  my  friends,  Mr.  Brandram  the  curate 
of  an  old  curate,  and  Mrs.  Brandram  the  daughter  of 
an  old  friend. 

Kumamoto,  with  its  population  of  60,000,  is  the 
most  important  military  centre  in  Kiushiu.  This  it 
owes  chiefly  to  the  very  commanding  position  of  its 


THE   ISLAND    OF   KIUSHIU  283 

ancient  fortress,  which  is  equally  important  under  the 
conditions  of  modern  warfare.  Like  the  Castle  of 
Nagoya,  it  has  happily  escaped  the  ravages  of  the 
iconoclastic  fever  of  twenty  years  ago,  and  next  to  it 
is  perhaps  the  finest  relic  of  the  feudal  times.  I  may 
best  describe  it  as  an  inland  Gibraltar,  standing  on  a 
rock,  precipitous  and  unassailable  on  three  sides,  and 
commanding  not  only  the  whole  town  beneath,  but  the 
surrounding  country.  It  is  now  to  Kiushiu  what 
Osaka  is  to  the  main  island,  the  artillery  depot  of  the 
country,  and  admission  to  the  fortress  is  strictly 
forbidden  except  under  special  circumstances.  I  was 
fortunate  enough  to  see  the  horse  artillery  practice  on 
a  field  day ;  and  although  the  horses  did  not  seem 
comparable  in  breeding  to  our  own,  yet  I  am  quite 
sure  that  the  rapidity  with  which  the  evolutions  were 
gone  through,  the  promptitude  with  which  the  guns 
were  limbered  and  unlimbered,  would  not  have 
discredited  the  best  European  troops. 

This  wonderful  castle  was  built  by  the  Kato, 
conqueror  of  Korea,  nearly  four  hundred  years  ago, 
but  is  chiefly  celebrated  now  for  the  spirited  defence 
which  its  small  garrison  made  in  1877  against  the 
Satsuma  insurgents,  led  by  their  hero  Saigo.  He  was 
the  champion  of  the  old  system,  and  though  he  had 
been  foremost  in  assisting  to  abolish  the  Shogunate 
and  draw  forth  the  Mikado  into  real  authority,  yet  he 
was  determinately  opposed  to  all  the  modern  innova- 
tions, more  perhaps  to  the  abolition  of  feudalism  than 
to  the  recognition  of  foreigners.  He  had  rallied  about 
twenty  thousand  young  Samurai  of  the  class  to  whom 


UNIVJ 


284  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

the  new  institutions  meant  ruin,  and  so  unprepared 
were  the  central  authorities  then  for  resistance,  that, 
probably,  had  he  marched  straight  to  Tokio,  he  would 
have  carried  all  before  him.  His  one  and  fatal 
mistake  was  that,  instead  of  being  content  with 
masking  Kumamoto,  he  wasted  weeks  in  attempting 
to  reduce  it  by  siege,  and  thus  gave  the  government 
time  to  collect  their  forces  at  Fukuoka.  The  siege 
being  raised,  the  gallant  Saigo,  after  several  struggles 
being  finally  defeated,  when  all  was  lost  at  Kagoshima, 
got  a  friend  to  decapitate  him,  and  thus  terminated 
the  last  effort  of  old  Japan. 

The  mausoleum  of  the  old  Daimios  is  full  of 
interest,  though  on  a  much  smaller  scale  than  the 
one  at  Fukuoka.  One  of  the  Daimios  in  A.D.  1600 
was  a  well-known  Christian,  but  his  descendants  have 
given  him  a  Buddhist  epitaph  on  his  tomb.  The 
gardens  of  this  old  family  are  now  the  public  park 
of  the  place,  quaint  and  artificial,  with  lakes  and 
mounds,  and  the  azaleas  just  past  their  full  beauty. 
The  town  has  one  feature  not  common  in  Japan,  that 
all  the  streets  are  more  like  boulevards,  from  the  rows 
of  trees  planted  down  them.  Almost  the  whole  city 
having  been  burnt  at  the  time  of  the  siege,  oppor- 
tunity was  taken  to  treat  the  place  as  was  old 
London  after  its  great  fire.  Kumamoto  is  an  im- 
portant educational  centre,  with  a  large  government 
college  and  very  extensive  buildings.  The  Professor 
of  English,  a  Canadian  fellow-countryman,  who  has 
since  left,  most  kindly  showed  us  over  everything, 
and  especially  the  museum,  where  I  picked  up  some 


THE  ISLAND   OF   KIUSHIU  285 

information,  though  I  was  sorry  to  find  that  the 
authorities  had  not  yet  learned  the  importance  of 
noting  the  localities  of  their  specimens. 

One  evening  during  our  stay  we  attended  a 
shimbokkwai  given  in  the  town  hall,  and  attended  by 
nearly  three  hundred  Christians,  in  honour  of  a 
native  catechist  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
who  was  leaving  on  account  of  health.  The  Church 
Missionary  Society  is  by  no  means  the  only  mission 
in  this  great  city,  and  the  interesting  feature  about 
the  affair  is  that  it  was  got  up  by  the  Christians  of 
other  denominations  as  a  brotherly  farewell. 


286 


CHAPTEE  X 

ASO   SAN   AND   THE   GEYSERS   OF   YUNOTAN 

FROM  Kumamoto  we  made  an  intensely  interesting 
two  days'  excursion  to  Aso  San,  an  active  volcano, 
5,900  feet  above  the  sea,  almost  exactly  in  the 
centre  of  the  island.  Aso  San  is  the  second  or 
third  in  importance  of  the  fifty-one  volcanoes  which 
are  reckoned  in  the  country,  and  it  has,  moreover, 
many  satellites  in  the  form  of  sulphur  jets,  hot 
springs,  and  magnificent  geysers.  It  is  never  at  rest, 
though  at  present  it  was  not  ejecting  anything  beyond 
sulphur  and  smoke.  The  last  eruption  of  consequence 
was  in  February,  1884,  when  there  was  no  stream  of 
lava,  but  showers  of  ashes  fell,  and  destroyed  the  crops 
within  a  radius  of  thirty  miles,  and  at  Kumamoto  the 
darkness  continued  for  three  days.  It  was  also  active, 
but  not  to  the  same  extent,  in  1889,  simultaneously 
with  the  Kumamoto  earthquake. 

"We  organised  a  party  of  six  for  the  expedition,  three 
ladies,  Mr.  Lang,  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  and 
Mr.  Brandram's  Japanese  servant,  who,  knowing  the 
district  well,  proved  himself  an  invaluable  dragoman. 
After  an  early  start  we  rode  for  five  hours  in  kuru- 
mas,  each  in  solitary  state,  choosing  for  the  sake  of 
the  scenery,  in  preference  to  the  new  and  lower  road, 
the  old  Ozu  road,  under  an  avenue  of  pine-trees  300 


ASO   SAN   AND   THE   GEYSERS   OF   YUNOTAN       287 

years  old.  Our  journey  was  through  a  rich  cultivated 
country,  gently  rising,  the  pine  and  cryptomeria 
avenues  giving  grateful  shade,  every  now  and  then 
interrupted  by  picturesque  villages,  with  the  women 
busily  threshing  wheat  and  barley  by  the  roadside 
with  flails  on  great  mats,  the  men  toiling  in  the  paddy 
fields,  whence  the  barley  had  been  cleared.  After 
this,  the  earliest  harvest  of  the  year,  not  a  moment  is 
lost ;  the  water  is  turned  in  by  the  little  channels 
which  intersect  the  plain  in  every  direction,  and  form 
a  perfect  network  of  parallelograms,  fed  by  the 
mountain  rills,  and  led  in  this  direction  or  in  that 
with  perfect  docility,  as  the  little  mud  walls  of  the 
channel  are  opened  or  closed.  Here  the  parties  of 
husbandmen  in  long  rows  were  busy  dibbling  in  the 
young  rice  plants  in  the  black  semi-fluid  mud.  In 
other  fields  men  were  busily  pulling  up  by  the  roots 
the  long  rows  of  wheat  plants,  which  had  all  been 
drilled  in,  for  the  Japanese  agriculturist  would  scorn 
the  slovenly  and  wasteful  method  of  sowing  broadcast, 
and  as  the  wheat  was  uprooted,  long  rows  of  indigo  or 
lentils  sown  between  the  drills  were  briskly  shooting 
up,  now  that  they  had  space  and  light  for  growth. 
The  plain  on  either  side  stretched  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  dotted  all  over  with  labourers  in  their  large 
bamboo  umbrella  hats,  a  perfect  picture  of  agri- 
cultural peace  and  prosperity. 

We  gradually  approached  what  seemed  a  mighty 
convex  wall  of  mountain,  in  which  just  before  us  a 
solitary  deep  gap  was  cleft,  up  to  which  a  mighty 
causeway  led  by  a  gentle  slope  from  the  plain.  Here 


288  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

at  a  tea-house  we  dismissed  our  kuruma  men,  and 
secured  two  porters  for  our  hand  luggage.  We  were 
gradually  entering  the  one  gap  in  the  great  circular 
crater  of  the  most  stupendous  primeval  volcano  exist- 
ing in  the  world.  The  walls  up  to  which  we  looked 
are  the  rim  of  an  irregular  circumference  of  forty 
miles,  averaging  800  feet  in  height,  and  enclosing  a 
plain  of  unsurpassed  fertility,  embracing  over  a 
hundred  agricultural  villages.  The  present  active 
peak  is  within  the  outer  enclosing  rim,  on  the  further 
side  from  that  by  which  we  ascended.  As  we  neared 
the  opening  in  the  enclosing  ridge,  we  could  see  how, 
in  some  inconceivably  distant  geological  epoch,  the 
contents  of  that  mighty  cauldron  have  burst  through 
this  fissure,  and  spread  their  molten  torrents  over 
the  vast  plain  below,  to  form  in  after  ages  by  their 
decomposition  the  rich  black  soil  of  the  plains  of  Higo. 
It  is  a  delicious  climb,  rough  though  it  be  under 
foot ;  every  road,  lane,  and  path  is  now  an  avenue  of 
the  lovely  wax-tree,  Rhus  succedanea,  a  beautiful, 
though  not  a  lofty,  tree,  with  wide-spreading  branches, 
and  foliage  in  form  and  hue  something  between  the 
ash  and  the  walnut,  and  in  autumn  turning  to  the 
most  exquisite  red.  From  its  berries  is  extracted 
vegetable  wax,  one  of  the  most  important  products  of 
Japan.  It  has  exactly  the  perfume  and  appearance 
of  beeswax,  and  makes  very  clean  candles.  Until 
the  introduction  of  mineral  oils  from  America,  and 
more  recently  of  the  electric  light,  the  country  was 
entirely  dependent  on  the  illuminating  power  of  the 
produce  of  the  wax-tree. 


ASO   SAN   AND   THE   GEYSERS   OF    YUNOTAN       289 

I  cannot  describe  the  charm  of  the  mountain  path 
as  we  approached  the  crest.  Waterfalls  peeping 
amongst  trees  shooting  out  of  cliffs  ;  deep  glens  below 
us  ;  festoons  of  wistaria  bloom,  painting  with  purple 
lines  the  fresh  green  foliage  of  the  maples  and  other 
nameless  trees  overhead;  a  new  outline;  anew  abyss 
revealed  at  every  turn,  till  variety  itself  became 
monotonous. 

We  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  ridge,  and  got  our 
first  view  of  the  vast  primeval  crater.  The  rim 
is  complete  except  at  this  point  where  the  Shira- 
kawa  (the  one  drainage  of  the  whole  basin)  pours 
out  over  the  bed  of  the  once  glowing  lava  streams. 
The  diameter  of  this  great  crater  varies  from  ten  to 
fourteen  miles,  and  the  hundred  villages  boast  of 
800  farms.  Within  this,  but  at  the  further  side, 
is  an  inner  crater  of  much  later  geologic  date,  rising 
to  an  elevation  of  4,150  feet,  enclosing  an  irregular 
plain,  which  is  comparatively  barren  and  waterless, 
and  then  at  the  further  side  of  this  is  the  inner- 
most, modern,  and  living  volcano  of  Aso  San.  I 
have  not  seen  the  volcanoes  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  which  evidently  have  points  of  resemblance 
with  this,  but  it  recalled  most  vividly  the  pheno- 
mena of  the  Island  of  Palma  in  the  Canaries,  with 
this  difference,  that  the  Caldera  of  Palma  is  only 
one-third  its  diameter,  but  five  times  its  depth,  being 
4,500  feet  from  the  Pico  di  Muchacio  to  the  bottom 
of  the  crater,  which  is  equally  celebrated  for  its 
extraordinary  fertility,  and  has  a  gap  through 
which  the  lava  has  flowed  in  such  vast  quantities 

u 


290  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

as  to  cause  the  well-known  pear-shaped  form  of 
Palma. 

From  our  ridge  we  rapidly  descended  by  a 
mountain  path  into  a  deep  glen,  from  the  bottom 
of  which  rises  a  column  of  sulphurous  steam.  Here 
are  large  public  hot  baths,  with  lodgings  and  tea- 
houses, the  baths  supplied  by  bamboo  pipes  from 
the  boiling  springs  hard  by.  They  are  ingeniously 
constructed  against  the  side  of  the  hill,  and  are  all 
open  to  the  path,  and  both  sexes  of  all  ages  were 
enjoying  their  public  parboiling  in  common  in  perfect 
nudity.  Just  in  front  of  us  was  a  lovely  view. 

Another  deep  glen,  or  rather  chasm,  joined  the 
one  we  were  following,  and  the  cliffs  facing  us,  several 
hundred  feet  high,  and  all  but  perpendicular,  were 
clad  with  forest  trees,  clinging,  one  hardly  can 
conceive  how,  to  the  face  of  the  cliff.  The  dashing 
torrents  were  fringed  with  all  sorts  of  ferns, 
conspicuous  among  them  the  giant  Woodwardia 
japonica,  dropping  its  fronds  to  the  surface  of  the 
stream.  We  were  all  enchanted,  but  we  had  a 
walk  of  some  hours  before  us. 

After  another  hour,  arriving  at  a  wayside  tea- 
house, the  man  with  the  horses  and  our  luggage 
declared  that  here  we  must  stop  for  the  night. 
I  should  have  said  before  that  when  we  discharged 
our  kurumas,  although  one  man  could  easily  have 
carried  all  we  had  on  his  back,  we  engaged  a 
horse,  for  which  we  were  charged  the  enormous 
sum  of  forty  sen,  rather  less  than  twenty  pence; 
and  this  agreed  to,  he  must  needs  have  a  second 


ASO  SAN  AND  THE  GEYSERS  OF  YUNOTAN   291 

horse  and  a  friend  to  accompany  him,  but  as 
these  were  on  a  return  journey,  they  need  not 
be  paid  for.  To  have  rested  at  this  place  would 
have  meant  to  add  another  day  to  our  journey  and 
dislocate  all  our  plans,  but  for  some  time  we  were 
much  afraid  the  strike  would  have  been  successful. 
Every  argument  was  used  :  we  ought  to  have  stayed 
at  the  hot  baths  we  had  passed  ;  everyone  would 
be  tired ;  there  would  be  no  food  at  Tarutama,  our 
proposed  destination  ;  the  distance  yet  to  go  was, 
according  to  their  account,  greater  than  when  we 
had  started  in  the  morning ;  and  finally,  as  a 
clinching  argument,  there  would  be  no  policemen 
there  to  look  at  our  passports  !  At  last  the  men 
were  heard  to  say,  '  There  is  no  help  for  it.  If 
we  don't  go  on,  things  won't  do,'  and  on  we  went. 
Oh,  such  shrubs  !  Wistaria,  deutzia,  wiegelia,  daphne 
of  three  or  four  sorts,  wild  roses  of  three  species, 
honeysuckles  of  two,  azaleas  of  all  sorts,  a  shrub 
that  looked  like  a  white  fuchsia,  which  I  never  saw 
before  or  since,  and  many  others  quite  strange 
to  us  all. 

After  a  long  climb  we  halted  in  a  sort  of 
Devonshire  lane  for  afternoon  tea  and  a  rest,  the 
ladies  having  brought  all  paraphernalia  for  tea- 
making,  and  a  little  rill  supplying  the  water.  More 
climbing,  till  about  6  P.M.  we  were  brought  up  short 
by  our  narrowing  valley  becoming  a  gorge,  and 
finally  a  cul-de-sac  with  a  cliff  some  hundreds  of 
feet  high  in  front,  covered  with  wood,  and  a  cascade 
of  hot  water  dashing  down  it.  We  had  arrived  at 

u  2 


292  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

Tarutama.  Under  the  cliff  a  long  row  of  two-storied 
sheds  crammed  with  people,  a  sort  of  square  in  front, 
two  sides  of  which  were  formed  by  large  open 
baths  under  roofs,  but  with  no  enclosing  walls,  fed 
by  bamboo  pipes,  with  the  hot  sulphurous  water  from 
the  foot  of  the  cascade  providing  a  continuous 
stream  through  the  fully  tenanted  baths.  The  place 
has  great  renown,  especially  for  rheumatism.  There 
were  only  two  hundred  people  here  now,  but  as 
summer  approached  they  expected  the  number  to 
rise  to  eight  hundred.  All  the  baths  are  free  as 
well  as  public,  and  a  great  boon  to  the  poor  they 
must  be.  A  very  clean  native  hotel  has  lately 
been  put  up  at  the  entrance  to  the  place,  and  we 
soon  arranged  for  supper,  bed  and  breakfast  at 
thirty  sen,  about  a  shilling  a-piece.  Mr.  Lang  and 
I  had  a  large  room  downstairs,  and  the  ladies  two 
rooms  upstairs,  reached  by  a  ladder  from  the  kitchen. 
We  should  have  liked  a  hot  bath,  but  it  was  hopeless. 
Our  landlord  comforted  us  by  telling  us  that  there 
would  not  be  many  bathers  in  the  early  hours  after 
midnight.  Foreigners  were  evidently  rare  visitors 
here,  and  we  were  watched  and  followed  by  crowds 
in  our  every  movement.  As  our  room  had  no 
walls,  privacy  was  impossible,  but  all  was  exquisitely 
clean,  and  the  supper  of  rice  and  mushroom  soup 
very  good. 

Next  morning  I  woke  at  four,  a  still,  starlit  night, 
and  pushing  the  paper  frame  aside,  went  across  to 
the  nearest  bath.  There  was  only  one  occupant  when 
I  arrived,  the  water  was  as  hot  as  I  could  bear  it,  but 


ASO    SAN    AND    THE    GEYSERS    OF    YUNOTAN      293 

I  soon  got  acclimatized,  and  enjoyed  my  swim  ex- 
ceedingly. On  my  return,  I  roused  Mr.  Lang,  who 
followed  my  example,  but  had  half-a-dozen  com- 
panions. After  a  short  doze  under  my  futon  again, 
the  room  was  cleared  for  breakfast.  The  ladies  had 
succeeded  in  having  an  apology  for  a  tub  upstairs,  a 


COUNTRY   PEOPLE   CARRYING   FIREWOOD. 


great  concession  to  foreign  prejudices.  The  baggage 
was  all  sent  down  with  a  man  and  horse  to  Tochi- 
no-ki,  on  the  other  route,  where  we  had  arranged 
before  leaving  Kumamoto  that  kurumas  were  to  meet 
us,  and  with  a  guide  carrying  a  lunch  basket  we 
started  for  another  steep  walk  to  the  summit  of  A  so 
San. 


294  RAMBLES    IN    JAPAN 

Our  night's  halt  had  been  on  the  outside  of  the 
rim  of  the  middle  crater,  which  is  about  five  miles 
across.  We  now  soon  lost  the  trees,  and  were  on 
bare  grassy  hills  until  we  reached  the  crest.  Then 
a  magnificent  panorama  of  mountain  ranges,  one 
encircling  the  other,  was  spread  before  us.  No  agri- 
culture, only  cattle  and  many  horses  and  foals,  and  the 
cuckoo's  note  resounding  all  day.  Two  hours  off  on 
our  left  the  rising  column  of  smoke  marked  Aso  San. 
The  path  was  easy,  not  steep,  and  the  turf  pleasant 
walking.  After  four  hours  we  were  at  the  end  of 
vegetation,  the  last  flower  being  a  lovely,  pale-blue 
gentian  in  great  abundance,  and  we  were  at  the  foot 
of  the  cone.  Here  was  a  little  village  with  tea-houses. 
Depositing  the  luncheon  basket,  we  set  out  for  a  half- 
hour's  scramble  over  bare  scoria  and  tufa  to  the  edge 
of  the  living  crater.  It  has  a  double  rim ;  a  slight 
descent  from  the  outer  one  leads  to  the  very  edge  of 
the  gulf,  on  which  is  perched  a  tiny  shrine  of  Buddha. 
It  was  blowing  a  gale  of  wind — fortunately  at  our 
backs,  otherwise  we  could  not  have  ascended.  I 
never  saw  a  more  wonderful  sight  than  when  I  looked 
down  that  abyss.  It  is  about  950  feet  deep,  and 
two-thirds  of  a  mile  in  circumference.  The  roar  was 
deafening,  and  the  steam  and  smoke  rose  in  thick 
clouds.  Fortunately,  being  to  windward,  we  could 
see  the  bottom,  and  the  glowing  red-hot  tufa  and 
sulphur,  as  fire  and  steam  seemed  to  pour  forth  from 
the  whole  surface.  Vesuvius  and  Etna,  as  I  have 
seen  them,  are  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  weird 
Aso  San.  It  is  a  scene  for  Dore  to  have  painted. 


ASO   SAN  AND   THE   GEYSERS   OF   YUNOTAN       295 

There  is  one  corner  where  men  can  get  down  to 
gather  the  sulphur,  and  one  to  whom  we  spoke  had 
been  down  the  day  we  were  there.  Every  year  some 
lose  their  lives  in  doing  so,  both  by  suffocation  from 
the  fumes,  and  from  their  sinking  through  the 
treacherous  crust  into  the  molten  metal.  We  did 
not  respond  to  the  invitation  to  go  down,  which  had 
to  be  made  by  signs,  for  the  roar  was  too  deafening 
for  a  word  to  be  heard. 

We  returned  to  the  tea-house  at  the  base  of  the 
cone  for  luncheon.  Our  guide  utilized  the  opportunity 
for  setting  forth  Christianity  to  a  score  of  attentive 
listeners.  One  opponent  vehemently  urged  as  an 
objection  that  each  nation  ought  to  be  independent, 
and  that  Japan  as  a  great  nation  should  have  a  god  to 
herself,  and  not  go  to  foreign  gods.  One  of  the  ladies 
had  brought  a  tin  of  preserved  peaches  and  begged 
the  landlord's  acceptance  of  a  plate  of  them.  He 
lifted  the  plate  to  his  head  in  token  of  acceptance, 
and  then  with  chopsticks  cleverly  cut  the  peaches  into 
small  morsels,  and  going  round  the  crowd,  with  the 
chopsticks  put  a  bit  into  the  mouth  of  each  bystander. 

We  took  an  entirely  different  route  on  our  return, 
in  order  to  visit  the  geysers  of  Yunotan.  After 
crossing  the  rim  of  the  middle  crater  over  grassy 
downs,  and  then  descending  into  a  lovely  valley, 
wooded  in  many  places,  a  two  hours'  walk  brought 
us  to  a  deep  gorge,  from  which  arose  clouds  of  smoke, 
or  rather  steam.  Here  was  another  village  of  baths, 
tea-houses,  and  lodging-sheds.  The  hot,  steaming 
baths,  into  which  streams  were  poured  by  bamboo 


296  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

tubes  from  the  geysers,  were  as  public  and  as  fre- 
quented as  those  we  had  seen  before.  Two  or  three 
hundred  yards  above  a  cluster  of  geysers  poured  forth 
their  jets  with  a  deafening  roar.  The  largest  sent  up 
a  pillar  of  boiling  water  and  mud  to  a  height  of 
twenty  feet.  Every  few  seconds  the  column  seemed 
to  drop  two  or  three  feet,  and  then  immediately  to 
rise  again.  A  number  of  stones  of  various  sizes  were 
shot  up  with  the  mud,  and  often,  but  not  always, 
dropped  outside.  Three  or  four  other  geysers  a  little 
higher  up  the  valley  shot  up  columns  quite  as  large 
in  volume,  but  only  to  about  half  the  height.  The 
place  seems  very  little  known,  and  is  quite  retired 
from  any  ordinary  thoroughfare,  but  is  very  popular 
as  a  health  resort  for  the  poor.  At  these  baths,  as 
at  those  we  visited  on  the  previous  day,  the  sheds, 
for  they  are  really  nothing  better,  where  the  visitors 
are  sheltered  at  night  are  maintained  by  the  local 
authorities,  and  the  lodging  as  well  as  the  baths  are 
free.  They  are  indeed  a  great  boon  to  the  poor,  for 
rheumatism  in  all  its  forms  is  exceptionally  prevalent 
in  Japan,  and  no  wonder,  when  we  see  the  poor 
labourers  of  both  sexes  working  all  day  knee  deep 
in  the  mud  and  water  of  the  paddy  fields.  We 
were  assured  that  they  rarely  fail  of  effecting  a  cure, 
and  in  the  very  worst  cases  give  considerable  relief. 
Some  patients  would  sit  in  the  water  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  100°  F.  for  six  hours  at  a  time.  The  water 
must  be  very  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur,  as 
it  forms  a  deep  incrustation  all  round  the  geysers. 
Thence  we  had  a  very  long  trudge  through  a  lovely 


ASO   SAN   AND   THE   OEYSERS   OF   YUNOTAN      297 

wooded  valley  to  Tochinoki,  where  the  road  com- 
mences, and  we  were  to  find  our  kurumas.  The 
warm  spring  weather  had  evoked  abundant  insect 
life,  and  I  added,  in  these  two  days,  many  choice 
specimens  of  butterflies  to  my  collection.  We  were 
again  in  the  breach  through  which  the  lava  in  old 
geologic  time  had  broken  through  the  crater,  a  little 
to  the  north  of  the  path  by  which  we  had  entered, 
and  we  looked  through  it  on  to  the  vast  plain  stretch- 
ing down  to  the  sea,  with  Kumamoto  at  its  further 
end.  The  sun  had  set,  and  it  was  near  eight  P.M. 
when,  refreshed  by  tea,  we  started  for  our  seventeen 
miles'  ride  to  the  city.  Bravely  did  the  tough  little 
kuruma  men  trot  along,  and  with  only  one  halt  to 
allow  them  to  eat  their  rice  and  rest  a  little,  we 
reached  our  hospitable  friends'  house  at  twenty 
minutes  before  midnight. 

The  next  day  we  turned  our  faces  north  again, 
having  each  a  kuruma  with  two  men,  for  we  had 
sixteen  miles,  nearly  all  uphill,  before  we  should 
reach  the  railway  terminus  to  catch  the  train.  When 
some  five  miles  from  our  destination  the  tyre  came 
off  one  of  my  wheels.  The  mishap  could  not  be 
repaired  on  the  spot,  and  we  could  only  push  on  on 
foot  as  quickly  as  possible  to  the  next  village,  our 
baggage  being  on  the  remaining  kuruma.  Happily 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  finding  vehicles  even  in  the 
most  out-of-the-way  places,  and  we  reached  the 
terminus  in  time. 

We  left  the  train  again  at  Kurume,  our  object 
being  to  visit  the  interesting  Christian  village  of 


298  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

Oyamada.  Kurume,  though  a  town  of  35,000 
inhabitants,  seems  to  consist  of  one  endless  street, 
running  up  towards  the  hills  ;  but  at  last,  like  Harley 
Street,  it  came  to  an  end,  and  at  a  tea-house  on  the 
edge  of  the  country  we  enjoyed  a  delicious  native 
dinner  of  shrimps,  a  kind  of  whitebait,  mushroom 
soup,  eggs,  and  rice.  I  felt  quite  satisfied  with  my 
management  of  chopsticks,  when  the  crowd  of  boys 
who  were  watching  us  did  not  see  anything  to 
laugh  at. 

Thence  we  ran  along  the  banks  of  a  river,  fringed 
with  ferns  and  shaded  by  wax -trees,  till  we  reached 
an  avenue  at  Korasan,  wrhere  is  a  fine  Shinto  temple 
on  the  wooded  hill,  with  a  grand  view.  We  had 
sent  our  wheels  round  to  meet  us  at  the  base  of  the 
hill  on  the  other  side.  At  a  tea-house  in  the  temple 
grounds  we  saw  the  whole  process  of  preparing  green 
tea  for  home  consumption.  The  leaves,  brought  in 
in  large  baskets,  are  steamed  in  a  perforated  pan 
over  a  boiler  on  a  charcoal  fire.  They  are  then 
spread  out  on  bamboo  mats  in  the  sun  to  dry,  but 
before  they  become  crisp  are  roughly  rolled  in  the 
palms  of  the  hand  by  women.  Then  the  drying  is 
completed,  and  the  leaves  are  ready  for  use.  We 
were  told  that  to  make  black  tea  for  foreign  use  they 
bake  the  leaves  after  steaming.  We  drank  some 
delicious  fresh  tea  made  from  leaves  which  were  on 
the  bushes  only  a  few  days  ago. 

Here  our  friend  Mr.  Hutchinson,  from  Fukuoka, 
met  us,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  we  took 
ourselves  to  our  kurumas,  and  were  off  for  Oyamada. 


ASO  SAN  AND  THE  GEYSERS  OF  YUNOTAN   299 

We  had  a  long  two  hours'  ride,  shaded  by  wax- trees 
as  we  skirted  the  range,  when,  in  a  village  embosomed 
in  trees,  we  suddenly  turned  up  a  steep  hill  in  the 
narrowest  of  lanes,  under  deep  shade.  At  an  opening 
among  the  trees  we  got  out,  and  in  front  of  us  was  a 
pretty  wooden  church,  with  its  solid  roof  and  neat 
porch,  in  an  enclosure  ornamented  after  the  fashion 
of  the  country  with  large  boulders,  brought  and 
arranged  with  no  slight  labour :  and  by  its  side  a 
picturesque  little  parsonage  of  two  stories,  standing 
in  its  garden,  very  like  a  Swiss  chalet.  The 
church,  which  will  hold  three  hundred,  is  tastefully 
furnished,  and,  like  the  parsonage,  was  built  by  the 
people  themselves.  The  catechist,  whose  wife  had 
been  for  ten  years  a  pupil  of  Mrs.  Goodall,  a 
benevolent  missionary  at  Nagasaki,  and  speaks 
English  well,  entertained  us  with  tea  and  cakes. 
We  then  climbed  by  a  narrow  path  to  the  house  of 
the  chief  man  of  the  village  and  the  first  Christian. 
Near  his  house  was  a  natural  platform,  a  little  grassy 
knoll  projecting  from  the  hill-side,  where  the  people 
often  assemble  to  sing  hymns.  From  this  spot  we 
had  a  striking  view  of  the  slopes  and  the  village 
below.  Every  house  is  isolated,  and  the  brown  roofs 
peer  here  and  there  amongst  a  dense  mass  of  foliage, 
the  flat  tops  of  the  wax-trees. 

The  story  of  this  village  is  very  interesting.  Four 
years  before  my  visit  there  was  not  a  Christian  in  the 
place  ;  we  were  here  in  the  centre  of  Xavier's  labours. 
It  is  marvellous  how,  in  spite  of  persecution  and 
isolation,  a  tradition  of  Christianity  had  remained. 


300  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

In  some  of  the  villages  the  people  had  preserved  a 
few  leaves  of  old  missals,  some  crosses  and  other 
Christian  relics.  These  were  kept  buried  in  boxes 
under  the  floor  in  the  centre  room  of  a  house,  and 
once  a  year  at  dead  of  night,  after  the  house  had  been 
carefully  shut  up,  the  relics  were  opened  and  shown, 
the  sign  of  the  cross  made,  and  the  children  told  it 
was  the  proscribed  religion  of  their  ancestors.  But 
they  knew  nothing  more.  When  the  country  was 
opened,  and  religion  proclaimed  free,  some  of  these 
villages  declared  themselves  Christian,  and  at  once 
received  the  Eoman  missionaries. 

The  people  of  Oyamada  noticed  that  the  conduct 
and  life  of  the  inhabitants  of  one  of  these  villages 
was  far  superior  to  that  of  the  Buddhists,  and  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  it  must  be  a  good  religion 
which  produced  such  fruits.  Some  of  them  went  to 
the  government  office  at  the  neighbouring  town 
of  Kurume,  and  talked  to  the  officials  there  of 
their  intention  of  inquiring  into  Christianity.  They 
replied  to  them :  '  If  you  want  to  be  Christians, 
do  not  go  to  the  old  Christians,  for  they  brought 
all  the  trouble  to  Japan  many  years  ago  by 
meddling  in  politics ;  go  to  the  new  Christians,  for 
they  never  interfere  with  Japanese  matters  of  state.' 
They  were  also  told  that  if  they  went  to  Nagasaki, 
they  would  hear  all  about  Christianity ;  so  a  depu- 
tation set  out  along  with  the  head  of  the  village  on 
what  was  to  them  a  very  serious  journey.  Arrived 
at  Nagasaki,  they  went  to  an  inn,  but  the  people 
there  knew  nothing  about  any  Christians,  when  a 


ASO   SAN   AND   THE   GEYSERS   OF   YUNOTAN       301 

bystander  said :  *  I  know  all  the  foreigners,  and  will 
take  you  to  them.  But  you  don't  know  their  ways ; 
you  can  do  nothing  with  them  unless  you  give  them 
a  dinner  first.  Give  me  $30,  and  I  will  provide  the 
dinner,  and  make  all  right.'  But  they  cautiously 
replied  that  they  would  wait  and  see  the  foreigners 
first.  The  man  took  them  to  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  bookshop,  and  it  turned  out  that  all  he  knew 
of  the  matter  was  the  existence  of  this  shop.  The 
colporteur  sent  them  to  Mr.  Hutchinson,  and  they 
began  by  producing,  in  true  Japanese  fashion  from 
handkerchiefs,  two  large  tins  of  mutton,  which  they 
had  brought  as  an  introductory  present.  Mr.  Hutch- 
inson heard  their  story,  felt  satisfied  of  their  sincerity, 
and  told  them  he  would  send  them  two  teachers  to 
instruct  them  in  the  religion  of  Jesus,  but  they  must 
expect  no  money  nor  any  worldly  advantage.  He  sent 
Mr.  Nakamura,  the  present  catechist,  and  another. 

Some  months  afterwards  he  was  summoned  to 
examine  their  catechumens.  He  baptized  seventy  at 
the  house  of  the  head  man  whom  we  visited,  and  soon 
after  twenty  more  whom  he  had  put  back  for  further 
instruction.  There  were  now  140  well-instructed 
Christians  there.  Bishop  Bickersteth  afterwards 
visited  them  for  confirmation ;  and  one  man,  who  was 
not  able  to  be  present,  afterwards  walked  fifty  miles 
to  receive  the  rite  at  Fukuoka.  They  maintain  a 
Christian  school.  Formerly  near  the  spot  where  the 
church  has  been  built  were  two  trees  which  were 
considered  sacred,  and  between  them  hung  the  sacred 
straw  rope  connected  with  Shinto  worship.  When 


302  RAMBLES    IN   JAPAN 

two-thirds  of  the  villagers  had  become  Christians,  the 
sons  of  the  head  man  boldly  cut  down  the  sacred  trees 
in  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  they  have  been  used 
to  form  the  roof-tree  of  the  church,  while  a  sacred 
stone  with  an  inscription  has  been  inverted  and  made 
the  threshold  of  the  church. 

The  village  was  not  without  its  troubles. 
The  Japanese  are  extremely  fond  of  lawsuits,  and 
it  is  commonly  said  that  each  village  considers 
it  an  honourable  distinction  to  have  been  involved 
in  a  suit  with  her  neighbours.  Oyamada  has 
been  no  exception.  There  was  a  bit  of  common 
land  claimed  both  by  it  and  by  a  neighbouring 
village.  Their  old  maps  differed  from  those  of  their 
neighbours,  and  both  were  of  great  antiquity.  They 
had  had  a  lawsuit  for  some  years  about  it,  which  was 
carried  through  four  courts,  till  at  last,  in  the  High 
Court  of  Tokio,  they  lost  it.  The  bit  of  land  was 
worth  about  $1000,  and  the  costs  they  had  to  pay 
came  to  $8000,  so  Chancery  suits  and  law  expenses 
exist  elsewhere  than  in  England.  Eeluctantly  we  bid 
good-bye  to  Oyamada,  and  went  down  the  hill  to  our 
kurumas. 

In  passing  through  Kurume  I  noticed  the  shop  of 
a  knife-handle  manufacturer.  He  had  an  immense 
stock  of  horns  and  skins  of  the  deer  of  the  country 
( Cervus  sika),  which  he  told  me  was  very  common,  of 
which  I  secured  specimens.  He  informed  me  that 
there  was  another  deer  to  be  found  in  Kiushiu,  much 
rarer,  but  of  which  he  had  at  present  no  spec;mens. 
After  an  unsuccessful  hunt  after  bronzes  and  lacquer, 


ASO   SAN   AND   THE   GEYSERS   OF   YUNOTAN       303 

we  resumed  our  journey  by  train,  and  reached  Fukuoka 
before  midnight,  glad  of  a  few  days'  rest,  which  I 
spent  in  entomological  researches  in  the  woods,  and 
antiquarian  in  the  city. 

I  had  an  invitation  to  visit  the  collection  of 
a  Japanese  doctor,  who  had  a  reputation  as  an 
entomologist.  When  we  called,  he  had  gone 
on  a  professional  visit  into  the  country,  but  we 
were  told  by  the  servant  that  the  lady  of  the  house 
would  be  glad  to  see  us.  She,  a  sweet  aristocratic- 
looking  Japanese  lady,  had  the  keys  of  her  husband's 
cabinets,  and  kindly  allowed  me  to  examine  everything 
at  leisure.  I  derived  much  information  from  my  visit 
on  the  marked  differences  between  the  lepidoptera  of 
Kiushiu  and  those  of  the  main  island,  a  very  large 
proportion  being  representative  species.  Then  the 
lady  insisted  on  showing  us  her  collection  of  old 
Satsuma  china,  which  she  evidently  held  much  more 
deserving  of  notice  than  her  husband's  insects,  and  it 
really  was  such  a  collection  as  could  not  now  be 
brought  together  unless  at  considerable  expenditure. 

I  was  afterwards  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  in 
Fukuoka,  in  a  second-hand  shop  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  town,  the  only  two  specimens  of  old  Satsuma 
crackled  ware  that  I  met  with  for  sale.  Here,  too,  as 
we  were  out  of  the  beat  of  ordinary  tourists,  I  secured 
several  specimens  of  antique  bronzes.  These  things, 
though  easily  obtained  at  the  first  opening  of  the 
country,  often  now  fetch  higher  prices  in  Japan  than 
in  Europe.  Whilst  ransacking  the  old  curiosity  shops 
in  company  with  my  kind  friend  and  host  Mr.  Hind, 


304  RAMBLES   IN   JAPAN 

as  we  left  one  shop  in  which  we  were  attended  to  by 
the  mistress  only,  her  husband  being  out,  Mr.  Hind 
asked  me  if  I  had  not  been  struck  by  her  appearance. 
I  said  I  noticed  that  she  had  not  only  a  handsome, 
but  a  remarkably  long  and  oval  face.  He  replied 
that  she  had  all  the  marks  of  the  most  aristocratic 
Japanese  type,  and  he  was  determined  to  find  out  who 
she  was.  Upon  inquiry  it  was  ascertained  that  she 
was  the  daughter  of  a  Daimio  of  high  rank,  who  had 
been  ruined  in  the  Satsuma  rebellion. 

From  Fukuoka  my  face  was  turned  homeward,  or 
rather  further  from  home,  across  the  Pacific  to 
Vancouver.  We  retraced  our  steps  to  Moji,  and 
crossed  the  famous  Straits  of  Shimanoseki  to  Bakan, 
the  town  on  main  island  side,  where  we  rested  a  night 
waiting  for  the  steamer  ;  then  through  the  Inland 
Sea,  of  which  the  traveller  can  never  tire,  though  the 
reader  may ;  a  few  days  at  Osaka ;  a  halt  at  Kioto, 
and  then  at  Tokio  for  farewell  visits ;  and  I  am  once 
more  embarked  on  a  Canadian  Pacific  boat,  and 
reluctantly  bid  farewell  to  the  enchanting  Land  of 
the  Eising  Sun  as  we  steer  towards  Columbia's  western 
shore. 


INDEX. 


Arima,  30. 

Armour,  57,  58. 

Aso  San,  volcano  of,  291-295. 

Austin,  Rev.  W.  T,,  work  of,  34. 

Awaji,  Island  of,  247,  261. 

Bathing  arrangements,  147,  197. 
Birds,  63,  64,  105,  106,  120,  121,  122. 
Biwa,  Lake  of,  187. 
Bridges,  84,  85,  86,  258. 
Buddha,  images  of,  105,  141,  204. 
sacred  horse  of,  98. 

Cherry-trees,  35,  50. 

Chinese  language,  uses  of,  114. 

Christian  educators,  39,  208,  237,  238. 

relics,  46. 

Chusenji,  Lake  of,  107-113. 
Climate,  19,  20. 
Cloisonne  ware,  175,  177. 
Coal  mining,  22,  23,  268,  269. 
Cormorant  fishing,  181. 
Cryptomerias,  83,  108,  116. 
Czarevitch,  assault  upon,  1 88,  190. 

Dazaifu,  277. 
Deshima,  13,  15. 
Doshisha,  208. 

Earthquake,  73. 

Emperor's  gardens,  Kioto,  21 1,  212. 

palaces,  41,  219. 
"  English   as   she  is  spoke,"  136,   137, 

197. 
English  language,  spread  of,  114. 

Falconry,  94,  97,  98. 

Fisheries,  21,  258,  261. 

Fishing-tackle,  62. 

Flower  show  at  Osaka,  245. 

Formosa,  Island  of,  20. 

Fruit-trees,  35. 

Fuji  San,  mountain  of,  127. 

origin  of  word,  162. 


Fukuoka,  269-276. 

Geysers  of  Yunotan,  295. 
Gifu,  1 80,  182. 
Gotemba,  153. 

Hakone,  138,  142. 
Hawking,  94,  97,  98. 
Heraldry,  40. 
Hideyoshi,  226,  227. 
Hieizan,  mountain  of,  214,  215. 
Hikone,  184,  187. 

Hotels,  86,   87,   88,90,   112,  153,  155, 
184,  192. 

Inland  sea,  24,  25,  266,  267,  268. 
Insignia,  39,  40. 
lyeyasu,  91,  92. 

temples  and  mausoleum  of,  90, 

93,  98-101. 
Irrigation,  144,  287. 

Japanese  courtesy,  163. 

eating  customs,  155,  156. 

literalness,  153,  154. 

love  of  the  beautiful,    14,  15, 
109. 

sponge-cake,  88. 
Jinrikshas,  35,  42. 

Kammon-ga-fuchi,  102. 
Karasaki,  pine-trees  near,  189. 
Kiushiu,  Island  of,  19,  266—285. 
Kioto,  195-222. 

industrial  exhibition,  213. 
Kobe,  24. 
Kozu,  128. 
Kumamoto,  279,  280,  283. 

Lamps,  bronze  and  stone,  50. 

Match  factory  in  Osaka,  241. 
Mausoleums,  100,  271,  284. 
May  day,  71. 


305 


306 


INDEX. 


Minerals,  21,  22. 
Missions  at  Gifu,  182. 

Fukuoko,  269,  272-275. 

Kumamoto,  280. 

Kurume,  300,  301,  302. 

Nagasaki,  16. 

Osaka,  229-234. 

Shikoku,  247. 

Tokio,  73,  74. 

Tokushima,  250-256. 
Miya-no-Shita,  journey  to,  133,  134. 
Museums,  45,  46,  47. 
Nagasaki,  13,  15,  16. 
•Nagoya,  165-180. 
Naruto,  261,  262. 
Neeshima,  Joseph,  208,  211,  212. 
Nijo,  castle  of,  221,  222. 
Nikko,  81-123. 

cascades  near,  106,  109,  119. 
journey  to,  81,  82,  83,  84. 
Nippon,  Island  of,  19. 

Odawara,  128,  129. 
(  Xsaka,  30,  225-246. 
Otsu,  189,  190. 

Parliament-house,  41. 
Passports,  81. 
Painting,  177. 
Pheasants,  89. 

feathers  exported,  89. 
Poaching,  107. 

Porcelain,  making  of,  175,  176,  177. 
packing  of,  178. 

Railway  station  luncheons,  165. 

travelling,    35,   8l,   128,    164, 

172,  184,  268,  269,  279. 
Ronins,  legend  of,  66,  69. 

Sailors'  home,  34. 


Satsuma  ware,  175,  176. 

Schools,  39,  53,  208,  230,  237,  238. 

Shiba,  57,  70. 

Shikoku,  Island  of,  247-265. 

voyage  to,  248. 
Shinto  temples,  47,  48,  in. 
Shodo  Shonin,  legends  of,  85,  86. 
Shoguns,  40,  65. 

shrines  of,  50,  65. 
St.  Andrew's  school,  76. 
St.  Hilda's  school,  77. 
Straw  bridges,  no. 
sandals,  no. 
Sulphur  baths,  141,  148,  292,  296. 

Taxidermists'  shops,  62. 
Tarutama,  292. 
Tea  drinking,  242. 
making,  298. 

Temples,  47,  66, 90-102,  161,  170, 171, 
172,  191,  198-208,  218,  229,  253, 
277,  278. 

Tides  at  Naruto,  262. 
Tokio,  35,  36. 

university  of,  53. 
Tokushima,  250-257 
Trees,  dwarfing  and  transplanting,  54. 

preservation  of,  269. 
Tycoon,  meaning  of,  40. 

Uyeno,  42,  45,  46. 

Volcano  of  Aso  San,  291-295. 

Water   travelling,    24,    248,    249,   250, 

266,  267. 
Wax-trees,  288. 
Women,  clothing  of,  23. 

Ye/./o,  island  of,  19. 
Yokohama,  33. 


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